After The Crash
by Annacaza
Summary: (AU) Six months after the destruction of Death Star II, Anna Anara has gone into hiding from the remains of the Empire, adopting a new identity to keep herself safe. After a revelation made to her about her family, she begins to seek them out. However, she must act fast, as another presence is starting to bear down on her. Sequel to Crash Landing.
1. Chapter 1

**Before you start reading this story, please make sure you read Crash Landing. Otherwise, literally nothing will make sense. Author's note at the bottom.**

* * *

A dark-cloaked figure rushed through the marketplace, followed closely by another, shouting figure. Those who stood in their path had to move quickly, and turned heads as they passed by. If it was another thief, surely it wouldn't get far, but this figure was fast. However, it had been seen before, many times in fact, running through the courtyard, a prize in hand. No one knew who the figure was, but all they knew was that it was fast, and always evaded capture by the Palace Guards, by merchants, or anyone who tried to stop it.

Today, it was a merchant who had decided to run after it, as he had been the most recent victim of this thief, and though he tried, he was unable to keep up. Those who stood in its way were brushed by as though they were never even there, while they acted as barricades to him. He forcefully pushed those out of his way, trying to keep his eyes on the figure who held the fruit he had been selling tucked into its cloak. By the time he was able to make ti through the dense crowd of people, the figure was gone.

He growled. "Next time, I'll make sure you won't be so lucky," he hissed under his breath, stopping as the thief disappeared into the dense bush and forest at the end of the market hall. Everyone knew about the cloaked thief, but whoever it was never stole anything of true importance. It was almost always food that was taken and hidden under that cloak, and no one knew anything else about the thief. Everyone suspected everyone, and in a city such as Theed, it seemed as though no one could hide for as long as thief had. For months, the figure had frequented the market, never stealing much, but enough to vastly irritate the merchants and put some of the market-goers on edge. Because no one knew anything about who it could be, the thief was considered to be dangerous.

However, that was far from that case.

There were forests that surrounded Theed, and it offered great cover from those who tried to find wherever the figure had gone off to. Naboo's terrain, no matter how picturesque, had dangers all around, and only those who knew the terrain well could navigate it successfully. This thief was one of those.

The figure turned to look back at the market square, seeing just enough through the trees to see that everyone had returned to their daily business, and one frustrated merchant that had been beaten by one of the most recognizable thieves on Naboo. The figure brushed the hood back over its head, and revealed a woman, struggling to catch her breath, but happy that she had made it out unscathed. She glanced down at the few pieces of fruit she managed to claim off of the table before someone spotted her. It was always amazing how no one was able to see her come into the market, but her stealth seemed to help with that. She pulled the cream-coloured cloak around her shoulders, dropped the fruit into the concealed pockets. She had hit two other stands that day, but the people behind the counter had been so caught up in serving their other customers that they hadn't even noticed her sneak away with a prize of her own.

She began to walk carefully through the bright green woods, at least until the buildings of Theed disappeared behind her. The Naboo sun was masked by the thick vegetation, but the girl didn't mind. She was never one to enjoy heat or humidity, and the inside of the forest was relatively cool. It made wearing the cloak bearable, even though she needed to. No matter how much she could change her hair, or alter the colour of her skin, if anyone saw her true face, they would know who it was.

To them, she was known as Myra Thorne. She sported dark red hair which reached about midway down her neck. The time she spent in the darkness of the forest and hiding behind the hood of her cloak altered her complexion to a pale cream colour. To anyone who saw her from afar, they would think nothing of her. However, if they could see the marks on the sides of her face, and the thin scar on her wrist, they would know exactly who it was. She was determined to not let anyone in on who she really was. Her previous identity had to be buried. No one knew that the most wanted person in the galaxy was really the thief that stole fruit from the market halls of Theed.

Her accommodations were less than perfect. They were located deep in the forest, and unless you truly looked for it, you couldn't see it. It was a hut, camouflaged well in the green space. It was located at a place where the land suddenly dropped off, and the roof looked at though it was just an extension of the land. Below, it was covered by bushes, and resembled more of a dug-out cave than an actual hut. However, it had kept her safe for six months.

She swallowed as the thought crossed her mind, and her pace slowed. Six months had gone by, yet it felt like a decade. The Empire had been near-fatally wounded, and showed no signs of rearing its ugly head anytime soon. Only four life forms had made it off the Death Star II, and one of them was in critical condition, and showed no signs of ever returning to his former glory. As for the other three, it seemed as though they were fairly quiet, but there was always the possibility of it resorting once again. It had bene three years after the Battle of Yavin before the Empire had come back, and because of this, the Alliance still existed. She had nothing to do with them anymore, All ties had been broken the day that the Death Star II had been destroyed.

She walked carefully through the bushes that covered the entrance to her home, and smiled as she saw a familiar figure sitting with his back to her. His dark hair curled around his face as a light breeze wafted in through the open entryway. The inside of the hut was dark, only a small amount of light coming from a lantern that was set off in the corner on the table. "What did you get this time?" he asked, and she reached into her cloak, placing six pieces of fruit on the table. The other figure turned and smiled. "Good haul?"

"It helps when the merchants are distracted," she said. "I managed to get two from three stands before the third realized who I was."

He shook his head, smiling. "It's amazing to me how you're such a well-known figure, yet you still slip through their fingers every time," he said.

"They didn't even put up a fight today," she said, shaking the cloak off and folding it carefully around her arms before placing it on the table. "What about you? Anything new?"

"I think I've found something," he said. "Not much, but it's a start."

"Well, we've had nothing for months, so anything at all would be a welcome relief," she said, settling down at the table. "Anyway, what do you have?"

"Coruscant," he said.

Her face went dark. "Coruscant?" she repeated, her voice low and unchanging.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Just, not what I was expecting, that's all," she said, raising her head up to look at him. "You worry about me too much, Tyler."

"I have to," he said. He stood up and walked over to the table where she sat, a datapad clutched in his arm. "Look, if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

"No, I do," she said. "I know now that my sister exists, and now she might be on Coruscant."

It was the only thing that her companion, Tyler Norris, knew about her past life. She had kept fairly quiet about it all. He didn't know her past, only what had happened in the five months since they had met. He never pried, which was what made him ideal to have around, and he didn't leave the hut much. He much preferred to be the one who searched for hours on end, trying to find something about who this mysterious family member was.  
He had confirmed her existence while researching the survivors of the Jedi Purge, and those who were born in the year 18 BBY. That was all she would give him to work with. She had been pushing it when she had asked for a list of all the Force-sensitives that had survived the Jedi Purge, but he had not asked questions. It was well-known that some had escaped. He had found nothing on a name, but the age and affiliation to the Alliance seemed to match up. On her own, she had dug up some information on the family tree, and her own questions had been answered. The mother of her sister, who also had no name, had two daughters, and one was labelled as missing. One that had been born in 17 BBY. When she had found that out, it had struck her, but she had to keep it concealed from Tyler. It had confirmed that the people she had grown up with were not her real family, and that she did have her own flesh and blood out there somewhere. Now, it was a matter of finding out who exactly that girl was.

"Do you want me to get the ship ready?" he asked.

"Not right now," she said, picking up one of her prizes from that morning's run. "I didn't steal this fruit for nothing."

He smiled. "Take it with us," he suggested. "We need to eat in space too, not just here."

She rolled her eyes. Something that she had learned about Tyler was his stubbornness was undeniable. As soon as he had a plan in mind, he was going to pursue it forever.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can go and start up the ship," she said. "But be discreet, for the love of the Maker."

"I'll do my best," he said. "You say that I worry to much, but so do you, Myra Throne."

She smiled, and he walked out of the small living space. The Imperial Shuttle that she had stolen and been concealed in the thick forest, and it was located about a mile and a half away. It was still amazing to her that it had not been found on any scanners. Naboo was affiliated with the Empire, but it didn't hide the fact that an Imperial Shuttle located in the forests surrounding Theed was conspicuous. However, it hadn't flown in months, and she wanted to keep in that way. Every time she had looked at it, it resurfaced memories of the night she wanted so badly to forget. However, when you had to adopt something new an live with it every day, you are reminded every day of what had occurred to get you here. For her, it was her identity.

Myra Throne. The name still seemed foreign to her, yet she knew that she needs to accept it. Her life would never be simple again, even if it had never been that way. She was a wanted woman, and nothing could ever change that. It tore at her heart, knowing that she had to leave just a beloved piece of her behind, just like she had on the Death Star. However, she knew that what had happened had not been the last time. She had not felt him die, and she knew now that he was alive, and he was looking for her. Because of that, she could not revert back to her old identity.

She could not be known as Anna Anara any longer.

* * *

 **The first chapter of After The Crash aaa i'm so freakin excited you have no idea. I'm writing this story for Camp NaNo this month so I hope to have a rough draft finished by the end of the month, and updates will probably be daily.**

 **I totally procrastinated and only got a very rough outline together, but it's flexible. I don't have a specific word goal, as the outline I have can range from 75k to 100k depending on how much my characters want to get into trouble.**

 **Also, Happy Canada Day! (it is almost impossible how I managed to get writing today, Free Agent Frenzy, Wimbledon Tennis, and my digital art that i have also procrastinated on were all competing for screen time.)**


	2. Chapter 2

Even though the Empire was on its last legs, it was still a feared force in the galaxy. Recruiting had was underway to try and rebuild, but there was no telling when , or even if, the Empire would rise again. The only thing that it had that it didn't before, was a young man thought to be pronounced dead six months ago.

Four had made it off of the Death Star II; Emperor Palpatine, Vader, Major Adam Shay, and Luke. Much of their fleet was lost and had forced them to be confined to a single area. However, there was still one small command ship that was still available to use, and it had just entered the Naboo system, under the command of the same man that had once been thought of to bring balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy.  
However, this man was not in the public eye, in the sense of the command ship. He was in the hangar, preparing to board a shuttle to land on Naboo, and had left the command to Major Shay. He stood watching as the blue and green planet widened in the view screen as they approached.

"Anything new?" he asked over his shoulder.

"A cloaked figure was seen running through the Theed marketplace this morning, sir," the commander that he had addressed stated. "There is no confirmation that this is our target."

"It is," Shay said, turning back to face the view screen. "She would not reveal her face to anyone. She knows that she's wanted, and will do anything to keep her true identity a secret. Pass this information along to our lord. He will need to know where to position himself."

Shay clasped his hands behind his back, feeling the motion of the ship as it slowed. It had been the first time since she had escaped from the Death Star that any suspicious activity had been recorded. The New Empire was desperate for anything, as she still posed a major threat. However, for the higher-ups, this was personal. She had walked right by Shay, and he still had no idea why he didn't stop her. Surely, he thought that she would've been killed when the station had been destroyed, but she had other plans. An escape was not something he had factored into his, and it haunted him everyday. Now, he could hopefully have that chance if this lead was true.

A small shuttle departed from the belly of the ship, heading straight into the atmosphere of Naboo. There weren't many life forms aboard, just seven, but they didn't intend to kill anyone. Naboo abided by the rules and regulations the Empire had enforced on them, and were therefore not much of a threat. Even their target was to be captured, alive. She was not to be harmed whatsoever, which wouldn't be much of a problem. The man of importance on the shuttle, even though he now channeled the corrupt side of the Force, would never do anything to hurt her.

"Sir, we have been informed by Major Shay that she was last seen within Theed," a stormtrooper said standing at attention in the doorway.

"Good," the dark figure cloaked in black said. "Make landing preparations, and keep the civilians away. She is probably out hiding the outskirts."

"Yes sir," the stormtrooper said, and turned on his heel, striding confidently out of the doorway. The dark figure stood up and glanced out of the tiny view screen in the room, watching as Naboo's surface approached. She was on the planet, he could feel her presence in the Force, but there was something that was telling him to stop. Surely, he would not have been so far lost that he would hand her over to the Emperor so quickly. By the had realized what was going on, it was too late to save her, or even himself. The only thing that he could do know was hope that she didn't put up much of a fight. Embracing the ways of the Dark side had not been easy for him, and even though he liked the power associated with those dark feelings, there was always a part of him that was telling him to go back. To say he was conflicted was an understatement.

The shuttle landed on the surface of Naboo. The Theed hangar was located near the Royal Palace, but that didn't seem to bother any of the Imperials. After all, the planet still had to conform to the Empire, and it was not worth trying to revolt.

The ramp to the shuttle lowered and the dark figure walked down it, the six stormtroopers that were on the shuttle with him following suit. Two of them would come with him, but if he commanded, they would stay behind anywhere. He wanted to do this mission alone, but the Emperor wouldn't hear it.

Aside from his eyes, which now held yellow glow to them, and a few scars, Luke Skywalker looked the same. There were small, hairline scars along the sides of his face, which were hardly noticeable unless you were close to him. They were marks of the Force Lightning that had ripped through him months ago, reminding him of the sheer power that his new master held. To anyone else, he didn't look like he had embraced the Dark. He didn't hide his identity, everyone knew that he had turned, and it had sent shockwaves through the galaxy. He had bene so encompassed by the Light that it was near-unthinkable for him to turn. Some had theories over why, but there were only four people in the galaxy who knew the real reason, and they were the only survivors from the Death Star II, and all Imperials. He still went by his old name, which was odd to many, but to those close to him, it meant that he might be salvageable.

He strode confidently out of the shuttle, reaching out to the Force in order to find her presence, and smiled. She was definitely here, and she was close.

* * *

"Myra!" a voice called from the forest. The girl lifted her head, pausing. His voice sounded frantic, but something she had learned while she had been on the run, even before she had met Luke, was that her pursuers would do anything to get to her. She picked up her cloak, tossing it over her shoulders, and pulled the hood up. The last thing that she wanted was to get caught up in a trap.

She reached into one of the concealed pockets,and her fingers brushed the metal hilt of a familiar weapon. She relaxed, knowing that she had it for protection if she absolutely needed to. She had not ignited it since she had fled, and had been tempted to put distance between her and it, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She had yet to be in a situation where her stealth was not enough to get her out, and she hope that she never had to ignite her saberstaff. The pearl-white twin blades were one-of-a-kind, and would be recognized easily. Not even Tyler knew that she carried the weapon.

Carefully she walked out into the forest, her head on a swivel, making sure that no one was around. She reached out with the Force, trying to sense something, and gasped when she felt darkness. Luke was on the planet, she knew. There was no one else it could be. She raised her head, knowing that the ship was still several minutes away, and she began to pick up her pace.

"Tyler?" she called out weakly. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her saberstaff. If she had to, she would ignite it. If Tyler was in danger, there was no sense in holding back. They had been through too much for him to lose his life over her.

She heard nothing back.

"Tyler?" she called again, and broke out into a run. She whipped through the trees, jumping over fallen logs and holding her free arm in front of her to try and shield her face from the onslaught that the leaves brought down upon her.

She nearly fell flat on her back when a dark figure appeared from around the trees.

"What?" Tyler asked, confused. She struggled to gin her balance back.

"We have to get out of here," she said. "Now."

He cocked his head to the side. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"The Empire is here," she said.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I saw their ship approach," she lied. It was a skill she had become quite good at.

He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Alright," he said. "The ship just needs some time to come up."

"Get it going as fast as you can," she said. "We don't have much time to waste."

The two began to jog through the woods toward the place where their stolen Imperial Shuttle sat, untouched for months. When she had first landed on Naboo, it had been her only thought to just stay on the ship and live within it. However, Tyler had found her out in the woods, and had questioned where she had found a shuttle such as that, much less an Imperial one. She had thought quickly, coming up with a story about being an ex-Imperial officer, and had stolen one from the fleet when the fall was imminent. It covered most of her bases, especially the most important one. There was no way to explain why the Empire was coming after her before, but this story was enough to keep him satisfied, and thinking that Myra Thorne was a real person.

She didn't even know what to call herself anymore. Anna reminded her too much of the past, but she just couldn't accept Myra as her new name. Maybe, once she found her sister, she would have yet another identity, as the people who had raised her had not bene her real parents. There was no doubt in her mind that "Anara" was not her last name, but Anna seemed right to her. Anything else just seemed to not fit her.  
They reached the ship, and the six months of misuse were starting to wear on it. The once pristine white finish was marked up and covered in vines, which helped to conceal it, but at the same time, there was a possibility that they had grown into critical areas of the ship. However, now was not the time to worry about that. She needed to get off of Naboo.

The ramp was down already, and they both raced up into the shuttle. Both took their seats, Anna in the pilot's seat, Tyler in the co-pilot's. Switches were being flipped quickly as she tried to get everything ready for takeoff, but with the uncertainty over whether or not the shuttle could still fly in the condition it was in, it was taking a little while to boot up. "C'mon you old thing, let's move it, time is of the essence," she hissed.

"How far away are they?" Tyler asked.

"You know this place better than I do," she said. "Where's the hangar?"

"About ten clicks west of here," he said.

"Then we need to move it," she said.

He leaned back in his seat, swivelling it to face her. "You realize we're in a forest, where it looks the same in every direction," he said. "Do you really think that they could ever find us?"

"You don't know how well the Empire trains its people," she said. "I do. They'll find us fast, and they won't leave you either. We need to get out of here as fast as we can."

Tyler sighed, leaning forward to flip on some of the other switches, and with that, the shuttle roared to life.

"Okay, let's see if you can still fly," she said, half talking to the ship, half to herself. She was confident in her abilities, but her piloting skills were never stellar, as much as she wanted to believe. Carefully, she gripped the throttle and the shuttle began to rise up from the trees. Now was the moment of truth.

* * *

"Sir," one of the stormtroopers said, and Luke whipped around. He let out a low growl as he saw the familiar shape of a Lambda-class shuttle rose into the air not far from them. He cursed under his breath.

"What are you commands?" asked the stormtrooper.

"Leave," he said. "Inform Major Shay to track any air traffic departing Naboo."

"Yes sir," the stormtrooper said before turning away. Luke's hand clenched into fists as he watched the shuttle disappear into the sky. She had been so close to him, and once again, she had slipped through his fingers. He glanced down at the ground before he turned, the workers on the hangar parting to let him through as he stalked back toward his own shuttle. The Emperor would not be happy, but he didn't really care. It was the first time in six months they had any sort of lead, the first time he had even felt her presence in the Force. Now, she was gone once again. He only hoped that it wouldn't be for long.

* * *

 **A little late, but Wimbledon Tennis totally distracted me (by totally I mean that I couldn't get anything done until 2pm). Thank you for the feedback so far!**

 **I have a poll up on my profile asking at what frequency you guys prefer this story to update. If you have time I'd love if you could answer it.**


	3. Chapter 3

They escaped from Naboo easily, avoiding the single command ship that they saw. Anna knew exactly who was on that ship, and it was the source of her unpleasant memories on the planet they were heading to.

Tyler leaned back in his seat as the shuttle kicked into light speed. He let his arms drape over the side of the chair, and looked over at her.

"That was…eventful," he said.

She nodded, running a hand through her short red hair. It still felt foreign to her. "No kidding," she said. "I thought I'd have more time."

"Well, Naboo is a popular place," she said. "Even though the Empire is still weak, people still fear it."

"The always will," she said. "Until Palpatine dies, it will always come back."

"Or has a powerful apprentice," he said. "I still can't believe that Skywalker turned. I remember thinking he would be the one to bring the everlasting peace to the galaxy, with the power of the Alliance behind him. It's truly unfortunate that he was seduced."

"Yes, unfortunate," she said, fighting the urge to spit it. There was nothing unfortunate about it. As far as she knew, he had made a choice. She still didn't truly understand what had happened that night, and she doubt that she ever would. However, she had something to live for now.  
"So, Coruscant is a big place," Tyler said. "Do you have anything that could lead you to your long lost sister? It's not like Force-sensitives go out and reveal it to the galaxy."

"Not really," she lied. In truth, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

"Next question," he said. "How do you know she's Force-sensitive?"

She had to be careful now, but she would be ignorant if she thought he would never ask.

"I worked closely with some of the high-ranking officials," she began. "They had records of the Jedi that had escaped the Jedi Purge. There was one mother with two children, one missing. When I found out the truth about my lineage not long ago, it was confirmed that I was that child that had been unaccounted for." She looked up at him, hoping that he bought her story, but she could still see questions in his gaze. "Because of my position, I worked closely with those who handled things like that. I had to pay them off to keep them quiet."

"You didn't see any names?" he asked.

"It's the same database as the one you dug through," she said. "No names, just numbers, personal information, that sort of thing."

She hoped that his questions were done, and he turned in his seat to look out the view screen. "Seems like you had a fairly boring job as an Imperial then," he stated.

"Pay was good," she said simply. Not that she would know.

He stood up from his seat. "I'm going to use the refresher," he said. "I'd suggest you do the same. You look like you've been living in the woods for six months."

She smiled as he disappeared into the back of the shuttle, leaving her alone in the cockpit. He hadn't pried her much in the beginning, but she had been fashioning a backup story for a long time now. He seemed to trust her enough to believe that Myra Thorne was no longer an Imperial, and for that she was grateful. She had hoped that her restraint on asking for his own backstory would be enough to keep him at bay, but it clearly hadn't. Tyler had an inquiring mind, she had learned. He would keep her on her toes, and she hoped that she never had to reveal the truth. Even though he had done great things for her, and the two for hem were a great team, she didn't think that she could place the heavy burden on him of associating with the most wanted person in the galaxy. She pulled her cream-coloured cloak around her tucking her hands inside. Her lightsaber lightly tapped her side, and she relaxed. She had not had to use it, thankfully. Luke had not been that close to her. She still remembered the last time she had used it against him. She remembered the sheer force behind his attacks. She remembered her body giving out under her and her mind shutting off. None of that was pleasant, and she had no desire to relive it. Even though she should hate him, her feelings toward him were still undeniable, and that would not change.

* * *

On the command ship, Luke strode confidently though the spotless halls. Everyone parted for him, afraid of what would happen should they cross his path. It was clear that he was not happy with how the retrieval mission had gone, and he would let out his anger somewhere. Wherever that place was, they didn't want to be anywhere near it.

He walked out into the command centre, where Major Shay was overseeing those who busily worked at their stations. He looked up as Luke walked in.

"We've found the shuttle," he said as Luke approached. "We're tracking it right now."

"Good," Luke said stiffly. It wasn't just the fact that he had let her slip through his fingers again, but also having to deal with shay on a regular basis. Even though they were forced to work together, nothing would change the fact that he had damaged Anna in ways that could not be repaired. He detested being the Major's presence, even if it was only for a few minutes at a time. Nothing would ever forgive the ways he behaved. Of course, he didn't know that Luke knew of what had happened on Coruscant, and the Dark Jedi had no intention of speaking about it.

"Anything else?" Shay asked. He straightened up, trying to look proud, but it was clear that he feared Luke.

"Let me know if something changes," he said. "Do not engage with her, whatever you do. We need her alive."

"Really?" Shay asked, his voice testing. "We, or I?"

Luke took a step forward, and watched as Shay struggled with standing still. "Do not question me, Major," he hissed. "You are not in a position to do so. Track the ship, tell me of anything changes, and do not harm her."

Shay nodded, though Luke could sense the hesitation in the Major's actions. "As you wish, my lord," he said, and Luke turned on his heel. The reply was sarcastic, no doubt, but it didn't seem to matter. Ever since Vader had been taken out of the ranks, Luke had been the one to step in and take over operations. Most of it was nothing of of interest, as they were still trying to get their recruitment back before anything could be attempted. The Empire was no longer a legitimate threat, and Luke did not care if they were or not. He was not in it for glory, he was in it because he had to.

He turned down one of the hallways, walking with purpose as he usually did. It made the workers on the ship cower in his presence, which made them stay away. He could walk through the entire ship and not run into a single person if he really wanted to. They were all afraid of him, as they should. He was very powerful, arguable more powerful than Vader.

He stopped at a door, and waved his hand. It parted for him, and he walked inside, taking a breath. His quarters were nothing special, but he didn't care. All he needed was a small space to himself, and he would be fine. Fine, never happy. There was only one way for him to achieve happiness again, and she was running from him. The door shut behind him, and he walked over to his bed. He didn't blame Anna for running, anyone would in that situation, but it didn't change the fact that a large part of him only wanted to see her. It had been a long time without knowing what she looked like, what her laugh sounded like, and those memories were fading every day. She seemed to be almost completely out of reach, and to know fault of her own. She had resisted the Dark side, while he had not. He had indulged, and he regretted it everyday.

The only memory he had of her was the night that the Death Star II had been destroyed. He shut his eyes as the memory resurfaced. Normally, he would bury it, but after today's failure, he needed something to distract himself with. It was the only way he could see her.

 _"You will not turn her," Luke said boldly. "You will not turn anyone."_

 _The Emperor laughed sinisterly. "You are far too invested in your friends to realize that they make you weak," he said. "You make your weakness so obvious."_

 _"As do you," Luke retorted, knowing that he needed to tread lightly. He would willingly give himself up in order to save her, especially after what had just happened, but he needed more time. He needed to make sure that she was okay. He knelt back at her side once again, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. She was cooling down, but she would not wake up any time soon, not without help. He didn't want her to be jolted out of her induced state, and instead clasped his hand around her own, unresponsive one that lay on the floor next to her head. Begging her to come back to him wasn't going to help now, but he could certainly comfort himself in the time it would take for her to return to consciousness, however long that took._

 _"Guards," the Emperor said, and the red figures appeared form behind the elevator. "Put her back on the railing."_

 _She had been coming to a little bit at that point, but was still far too weak to stand. They had restarted her again, one arm over the railing, the other under it, and she had leaned against it for support. She had no strength left in her muscles._

 _"If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed," the Emperor said, and raised his hands. Luke scrambled for his lightsaber, but the power of the Force Lightning hit him full-on, and he was knocked away from his weapon, his fingertips just barely brushing the hilt. He came to rest not far from Anna, who had also felt the pain, and had drawn her knees up to her chest in a vain attempt to soothe it. He was dazed from the sudden attack, as the last of the bolts rolled off of him and he clutched at the floor, trying to lessen the pain._

 _"Young fool, only now, at the end, do you understand," the Emperor said, surprisingly calm. Luke could barely hear his words as he fought to keep himself awake._

 _The bots hit him again, and he nearly lost consciousness._

 _"Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark side," he said, his voice getting angrier. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision."_

 _The bolts ripped through Luke once again, and he couldn't hold back his screams of pain anymore. It was nothing like he had every felt in his life._

 _"Father, please!" Luke called own, his voice weak. "Help me…"_

 _The pain ceased, and he lay on the floor, panting and in immense amounts of pain even though there wee no new bolts hitting him._

 _"Now, young Skywalker…" he began, a hint of pleasure in his eyes as he watched Luke struggle to regain his breath. "You will die."_

 _He remembered the last glimpse he had of Anna. She was awkwardly slouched against the railing, obviously in pain as well. She could feel him through the Force. She too looked barely conscious, but she did raise her eyes to meet his own. In that moment they had admitted it all for each other._

 _Then the pain started again. He hadn't had much left in him at that point, and he could still see black spots at the edges of his vision as he tried desperately to hold onto life. However, he had lost his grip, and everything had gone black._

 _The next thing he remembered, he was staring up at the bright lights, and he felt movement beneath him. His muscles refused to respond to any sort of command he gave them, and all he could do was glance around, trying to recognize something. Was he even alive? He must be, if he were dead he would have complete control of his body._

 _"Welcome back, young Skywalker," a familiar voice said, and he ground his teeth._

 _"You," he growled. "What happened to me? Is Anna okay"_

 _The Emperor laughed. "Your knowledge of the Force is limited, as much as you hate to admit."_

 _Luke felt his muscles suddenly feel as though a weight had been lifted off of them. He sat up, finding no pain. He flexed his fingers, and did a quick scan of his body. Everything seemed to be in working order. How had he survived?_

 _"What did you do to me?" he asked. "And where are we?"_

 _"You have a very inquiring mind," the Emperor said. "I will be pleased to have you as my apprentice."_  
 _Luke growled. "Never."_

 _"It is too late," the Emperor said. "Let's start at the beginning. Anna escaped. She is alive."_

 _Luke felt instant relief flood through him._

 _"However, do not be expecting to see her," the Emperor continued. "You have much to learn in such a small amount of time."_

 _"What are you talking about?" Luke asked._

 _"You see, you were never dead," the Emperor said. "You were simply held in an unconscious state. If you were truly dead, she would have felt it. I was holding you in a state. As much as I wanted to, you are much too powerful to waste. You power must be utilized, so I kept you alive."_  
 _Luke stood up, and he could feel the raw power in his veins. Something was different._

 _"What did you do to me?" he asked._

 _"See for yourself."_

 _He was in an Imperial shuttle, that was clear now. They were sitting in the back area, completely alone, but Luke could feel the weak presence of his father. He walked into the back, pushed the door to the refresher one and didn't even recognize himself._

 _His eyes had a faint yellow glow to them, something that he had seen in the Emperor, and to see it in himself scared him. He turned his head to the side, seeing faint, jagged lines running down the sides of his face. He stepped out of the refresher and stared at the Emperor._

 _"What are these lines?" he asked._

 _"They are makes left by the Force lightning," the Emperor explained. "It could have been much worse, just know that."_

 _Luke touched the marks, and he closed his eyes. "What makes you think that I will turn?" he asked._

 _"You have no choice," the Emperor said darkly. "You don't hold your life as high as those of your friends. Or the one you love."_

 _Luke felt himself freeze, and said nothing._

 _"I know where she has gone," the Emperor continued. "I'm sure that you want her to live. If that is the case, you will stay as my apprentice."_

 _Luke blinked, barely able to process what the Sith Lord was saying. However, it was Anna's life that hung in the balance now. "Was this all a ploy then?" he asked. "To get me to join you?"_

 _"You had accepted your death even before you walked into my throne room," the Sith Lord spat. "I knew that there was no chance that you would turn willingly. Your friends' lives are held in a higher regard than you hold your own. You know that I have the power needed to wipe out all of them. Your sister, Anna, the smuggler, all of them. It is your choice now."_

 _Luke turned away, running his hands through his hair. Surely there had to be a way to get out of this. He would not let his friends take the fall for something he had done, but the Emperor had left him no choice. He did want Leia, Han, Anna, all of them, to live their lives as they were meant to. The Emperor had seen through him and had spotted his weakness in no time; his compassion. His hands clenched into fists at his side as he tried to keep his emotions in check._

 _"I have a request," he said, turning to face the Emperor. "I keep my name. They need to know that I made it off of the Death Star." He paused as he forced out the last part. "I will join you."_

 _"Wonderful," the Emperor said, standing up and clasping his hands together. "You will be tended to once we return to Coruscant. We must ensure that you are in good health."_

 _"What of my father?" Luke asked quickly._  
 _The Emperor's face turned from holding an expression of glee to one of sorrow. "Your father is in critical condition," he said slowly. "It happened during the escape. You do not need to know more than that."_

 _Luke winced, but he felt better that Vader was not flirting with death by his own son's hand._

 _At that moment, shy walked into the back from the cockpit. "We are making our landing approach, my lord," he said, turning to the Emperor._

 _"Good," the Sith Lord said. "Ensure that young Skywalker is directed to the medical bay when we arrive. You have done well, Major Shay."_

 _Shay bowed his head, and walked back into the cockpit._

 _"He's the one that hurt her," Luke growled. The Emperor said nothing, but he had heard what the newly-proclaimed Dark Jedi had said. Of all the people that could have made it off of the Death Star, it should have been Shay._

Luke snapped himself out of the memory. He refused to remember the turmoil he had been afterward, knowing that he could very easily kill Shay for what he had done to Anna. It still bothered him that he had to work alongside the Major, but he had managed to keep his emotions in check. He could at least keep an eye on Shay this way, and know exactly what his every move was. If he would dare to make one toward Anna, he would have to respond to Luke.

The Dark Jedi sat down on his bed, leaning forward to unlace his boots. Everything still felt out of place to him, even though he had been on the command ship for six months. He longed for some sort of familiarity, but those days were long gone, and he knew that they would never return. When he had made that choice, he had sacrificed it all. He would gladly make it again.

* * *

 **So, some backstory on what happened when they escaped. I'm still not quite satisfied with the scene, and I'll probably revise it later, but I need sleep. Thank you for your feedback so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

**CarminaxBuranax: aaa the typos how they kill me. Writing at 10:30 at night is probably not the best way, lol.**

* * *

Anna sat alone in the cockpit of the shuttle, logging in her seat, a datapad propped up on her stomach. She didn't have much of an idea over what to search for, only that she had questions that needed answering. Most of those rested with the Alliance.

She had left them willingly, and it was an attempt to keep them safe. She had known that the Emperor would come after her, and just as Luke had experienced the night he had left for the Death Star, she did not wasn't to endanger them. She had not seen Leia or Han, or anyone else for that matter, in the six months that she had been in hiding for. For all that they knew, she could be dead, and they would have no idea.

She had only known a few of the Rebels personally, and none of them had been female. Any hope she had of even brushing into her sister in the halls of the Home One were gone with that, but ti wasn't all bad. She smiled as some of the more positive memories resurfaced, namely when she had met Luke's friend, Wedge.

 _"So, you're the one I've heard so much about?" the dark haired boy asked from next to Luke. She pursed her lips._

 _"I didn't know I was so popular here," she said, her voice neutral._

 _"You're a near-legend," he said, a glint in his eye. She rolled her own, turning to Luke._

 _"A charmer, this one," she said, and Luke smiled._

 _"It's what I'm known for," Wedge said, and she rolled her head back to look at him, folding her arms in front of her chest._

 _"Not the fact that you're basically a legend yourself?" she asked._

 _"That helps," he said, and she turned away from him._

 _The three of them were sitting around a table, all with drinks, in the dining hall of the Home One. It was the night before they were to leave to Endor. Since she hadn't had a chance to really meet many people that were associated with the Alliance, being about to sit down and have a drink with one was a breath of fresh air for her. It had been a long time since she had bene able to sit down with a glass in her hand and feel comfortable._

 _"Where do you hail from, Anna?" he asked, sipping his whiskey._

 _"Who knows," she responded, swirling the amber liquid around in her glass, the ice cubes clinking against each other._

 _"Not even I've been able to get an answer out of her yet," Luke said. "She's very secretive."_

 _"What about after a few glasses of whiskey?" Wedge asked, half to Luke and half to her._

 _"Not a chance," she said with a smile. "You'll come to know that eventually, when all of this is over and we can live without fear."_

That was her first meeting with Wedge, and her second, the most recent one, was much less cheerful. There was no alcohol, no innocent flirting, and hardly any words. The look on her face had told him everything he needed to know, and all they had done was embrace. Even though she didn't know the Rebel pilot very well, she did know enough that Luke was one of his closest friends, and losing him had the same effect as it did on her.

"You still here?" Tyler asked, snapping her out of her memories.

"Huh?" she asked, looking up at him and shaking her head slightly. "Oh, yeah, just reminiscing."

"Mmm," he said, sitting back down in the copilot's seat. She pushed her body up so that she was sitting straighter, and placed the datapad down.

"What happens now?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You said that you were running," he said. "I respect that. I know that you want to find your sister and live a life that isn't in the forests of Naboo, stealing from the Theed marketplace. However, I cannot share that same walk of life. I have been living on Naboo for years, and I cannot abandon it now. I just want you to know that I plan on going back as soon as you are reunited."

"That is your choice," she said. "I do not play any role in that. You have helped me more than I could have ever imagined."

He nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding," he said, and turning to look out the view screen once more.

She leaned back in her chair, watching as the blue of hyperspace swirled around them. She would not allow Tyler to get involved in this war, it was not his fight. She felt bad for abandoning him, but if he had come to terms with it, then in would be easier for her as well.

"You'll have to keep hidden," Tyler said. "Coruscant is still brimming with Imperial activity. Bring your cloak."

"There's no chance that I'm leaving it behind," she said with a smile, tugging on the loose edges of the fabric.

He raised his head. "Looks like we're entering the Coruscant system," he said, leaning forward in his seat, and she followed suit, preparing to bring the shuttle out of light speed.

"Where are we going to put this thing?" he asked.

"If what you say about this planet is true, then we're going right to one of the hangars," she said. "This shuttle is still Imperial and it will blend much better than an X-wing ever would."

Tyler nodded, and the shuttle eased out of hyperspace, slowly descending toward Coruscant. "Stay in the upper regions," she said. "The Undercity is not a place you want to go, for any reason."

"What business does an Imperial have in the Undercity?" he asked.

"You'd be surprised," she said simply, watching as the orange lights revealing the circular patterns on the planet's surface. She let out a small breath as the shuttle approached, old memories resurfacing.

 _Everything is going to be fine_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

Major Shay seemed to live within the command centre of the ship. He was constantly overseeing every little movement that occurred, and always checking over the screens that tracked the shuttle Anna was currently housed on. However, at this time, he had been pulled away form his work, summoned by the Emperor himself. He stood in the dark room, a cyan hologram of the Emperor's aged face the only light.

"Have you found her?" he asked in a slow, unchanging voice.

"We found her on Naboo," Shay said. "Skywalker was sent to retrieve her and bring her aboard, but she escaped before he had the chance to find her."

The Emperor growled. "Why weren't extra measures taken to ensure she did not get off of the planet?" he asked, and Shey shifted his weight from side to side.

"We only had a rough location, my lord," he said. "We thought she was alone, but we have found that there is another life form aboard the shuttle."

The Emperor nodded. "Do you have any clues as to who this companion might be?" he asked.

"None, my lord," Shay said. "However, we are tracking the shuttle, and it's going to the Coruscant system. It is the first movement in six months. Seems odd."

The Emperor smiled. "Not to those who know the Force," the Emperor said. "Both you and my apprentice will land on Coruscant. She must remain unharmed."

"What of the other one?" Shay asked.

"The companion means nothing," the Emperor said. "Kill him."

Shay nodded and turned to leave.

"First, Major, ensure your personal feelings do not rule you," he said. "And ensure that Skywalker obeys his commands. There is a turmoil inside of him that I can sense, and he must remain loyal to the Empire. If he cannot, you must take the appropriate measures to put an end to it."

Shay nodded and bowed his head. "As you wish, my lord."

The hologram flickered off, and the room went dark. He walked outside, back into the pristine white halls of the command ship. He had not seen Skywalker since the return from Naboo. He liked to keep himself holed up in his quarters, but something was off with him. Maybe it was just the prospect of seeing her once again that was bothering him.

Shay scoffed to himself as he thought about it. While Anna was no more than an object to him, to Luke, she was something else entirely. _A waste of time_ , Shay thought to himself. He thought love was a weakness, and even though Luke was powerful, and feared by most of the Imperials that worked under him, he had left himself vulnerable to an emotion that must be blocked out.

Shay strode confidently into the command room. "Status update," he stated. The way he talked to his officers offered no negotiation.

"They have come out of hyperspace and are approaching Coruscant," one called from across the room.

"Good," he said. "Alert Skywalker, and prepare a shuttle."

"Yes sir," the officer said, and Shay turned to look out the view screen. The fact that he was now being sent onto the surface of a planet where Anna and him had so much history stirred emotions deep inside, but he forced himself to bury them. He could still remember how cold she had been whenever she had smuggled anything for him, the way she conducted herself, even in the Undercity. He had to constantly watch his back, as he was marked. People knew his face, and they would be looking for him. Still, he had never had much trouble in the Undercity.

 _Shay sat alone in a bar, waiting, staring at the empty seat across from him. He had heard rumours of a smuggler that was fearless about the rougher parts of the galaxy, smuggling and otherwise, and wanted nothing more than to meet them. There were flashes in the Imperial's mind over who this smuggler could be, as he had not had any contact with whoever it was at all. He had simply been commanded the the bar in the Undercity, where crime ran high and he could take care of business easily._

 _It was raining outside, but that did not stop the flurry of activity outside of the bar. Every so often, he watched as a fight broke out just outside of the windows, and no one did anything about it. He turned away in disgust. He wasn't afraid of being in the Undercity, as he wasn't wearing anything that could link him to being an Imperial._

 _The door to the bar opened, and in walked a small girl, her hood up, her long, wavy hair damp and stuck to the sides of her face. Some looked up as she entered, but she paid no attention to them, her eyes scanning over the bar. When they rested on him, he quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to be caught staring. It seemed he had only turned away for three seconds when her presence was at his side._

 _"Adam," she said coldly. "You requested me."_

 _He looked her up and down as she allowed herself to settle down into the seat across from him. She didn't look like much, and he was surprised._

 _"You're the smuggler?" he asked, not being able to mask the disbelief._

 _She raised her fingers to the bar, signalling for a drink. "Again, you requested me," she said, annoyed and almost bored. "Now, don't waste my time. What do you need me for. And quit staring, what you see if what you get."_

 _"I like your attitude," he said, nodding to her._

 _She rolled her eyes. "You're wasting my time," she said._

 _"Right," he said, leaning forward in his seat. "Before I give you a task, I need to make sure you're up for it."_

 _The bartender walked her drink over to the table and set it down. Her long, pale fingers gripped the glass. "I'm a regular down here, that's all you_

 _need to know about me," she said. "I'm sure the one who referred you said I was fearless."_

 _"He did," Shay said. "But I need to make sure that you are."_

 _"Nothing you can say would scare me off," she said. "Assuming the pay is good."_

 _"Oh, I can assure you, there is no problem there," Shay said. "I need to make sure you know who you're working for." He lowered his voice. "An Imperial Major."_

 _She looked over her shoulder. "Is that supposed to impress me?" she asked._

 _Shay smiled. This truly was the fearless smuggler he had heard of._

* * *

 **Missed yesterday, now I'm behind by about 2.5k (but it's ok because I watched Raonic win his match at Wimbledon yesterday aaaa go Milos). I may or may not update tonight (in about 8-10 hours or so) to try and get caught up.**

 **The first section of this story will have a lot of flashbacks and memories, I hope it's not too confusing. When you super procrastinate on planning it's tough to come up with stuff quickly.**

 **Also, is the length of these chapters okay? I have a personal goal for each one to be around 2k or over since it's easier to track word count + 2k is that magical number for me. Let me know if they're too long/short/whatever.**


	5. Chapter 5

The shuttle lay unscathed on a hangar not far from Monument Plaza. Anna and Tyler walked with purpose toward the iconic area, but she did not take in any of it. She had been to the plaza before, but never as an outlaw. Her image was displayed all over the planet, and she kept her hood up in a vain attempt to hide her face. No one gave her odd looks, which was nice, and as the two of them walked, no one even stopped to give them a second glance.

She was reaching out with the Force, trying desperately to find something, but there were so many other things that were vying for her attention that it was difficult to concentrate on those that were purely Force-sensitive. She could feel that were Force-sensitive beings around, but trying to pinpoint one specific being was near-impossible.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a familiar figure hunched over a table, inside of a bar. His back was to her, and he was not wearing anything that could give him away, and for a moment, a flashback of the Undercity came back to her. "Go ahead, I'm going to check in here," she said.

"I don't want to leave you alone," he said.

"You let me when I'm off on my runs to market," she said.

He nodded. "Good point," he said. "If I don't see you in ten minutes I'm coming in there to get you."

"Fine," she said, and turned away from him, walking toward the bar.

She pushed one the door and didn't slow down, stalking right over to the figure she had seen from outside. He was leaning on his elbow, his hand holding his head up, the other one holding a very full glass of alcohol. She sat down next to him, and he looked up at her.

"Not many wear something as heavy as that during this time of year," he said, bringing the glass up to his face. She nodded raising her fingers to the bartender.

"I'll live on the edge," she said, her voice adopting a new accent, a Coruscanti one. She had to blend in as much as possible, and was not ready to give up her identity to him.

"What brings you here?" he asked. "I've never seen you around here."

"Just stopping in for a drink," she said simply as the bartender poured her a shot of whiskey on the rocks. She nodded and pulled the glass toward her body.

"You seem to be a woman of few words," he commented.

"So I've been told," she said, lifting the drink to her lips and taking a small sip.

"I'm Adam," he said.

"Myra," she responded, trying to keep her voice low.

"Myra…" he repeated. "How elegant."

"Mmm," she said, unimpressed with his weak flirting. Clearly all of the time he had spent holed up in his command ship had not done him any good.

He still had no idea how to communicate with the public. Not that it was part of his job, but it made it difficult to steer an conversation toward the subject she needed to talk about.

"What do you do, Adam?" she asked, keeping her face still mostly obstructed with her hood.

"I'm an Imperial Major," he said proudly.

"Major," she said. "How impressive."

He smiled. "What about you?" he asked.

"Well, that depends," she said, and turned to face him. "You see, I used to work for you, but now I run from you."

He looked at her with wide eyes as he recognized her. "Anna?" he asked in a hushed voice.

She glared at him under her hood. "You have a lot of questions, but answer mine first," she demanded. "Where is he?"

Shay leaned back in his chair. "I don't believe it," he said. "You've just walked right into the Emperor's hands by doing this."

"You don't think I know that?" she hissed. "I know that you let me escape from Naboo on purpose. You wanted to make him look bad."

Shay clenched his jaw. "He is weak," he spat. "Why do you continue to to go after him?"

"I pursue an emotion you do not understand, Adam," she hissed. "Now, where is he? I know he's on this planet, I can feel his presence."

"You don't think that I'll willingly give up his location, do you?" he asked.

"No, I know you won't," she said. "But you are undercover and you don't want to give yourself away, do you? So unless you want me to spill it to this entire bar, you will tell me where he is."

Shay laughed. "You think you can intimidate me, don't you?" he asked. "Listen, Myra, I know that you too are undercover. Do not even try to threaten me with my identity when you can even walk down the street with yours."

Anna opened her mouth to retaliate, but she was cut off when the sound of breaking glass was heard right behind Shay, and his eyes went glassy. He fell forward onto the table, revealing Tyler holding the neck of a bottle in his hand.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her off of the chair.

"Has it been ten minutes already?" she asked, but he didn't respond. The bar hadn't even stopped to acknowledge what had just happened.

He pulled her out of the bar and spun her around harshly. She pulled her arm away from him and stepped back. "What the hell is going on with you?" she hissed angrily.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Tyler spat back. "Is what he said about you true?"

She looked around the plaza, at a complete loss for words. "Tyler…"

"Do you not trust me?" he continued, anger raising his voice. "After all that I have done for you? I have kept you safe, I've helped you try to find your sister, made sure you survived, and you can't even tell me who you really are?"

"I can explain it all," she said. "But not here. I need to be somewhere where no one else can hear it. I don't trust them. Please, Tyler, it was for your own safety."

He scoffed. "I'm not even sure if I want to hear it at this point," he growled. "I'll be back at the shuttle. You have ten minutes to explain yourself."

* * *

"Anna Anara's location has been confirmed," one of the officers spoke up from his station. Luke glanced over at him, his hands behind his back, and his hood up. "Major Shay has gone offline."

"Prepare my shuttle," Luke commanded. "I will go down there myself and sort it all out."

"Yes sir," the officer said, and Luke strode powerfully out of the command centre. He had elected to stay behind while Shay scouted the surface first, and since the Major jumped at any chance to hurt Luke even more, he had willingly arrived on Coruscant first.

The Dark Jedi, meanwhile, needed some time to himself before he departed. He felt terrible that Shay had been given the first chance to get at her, but he had a feeling that the reason the Major had gone dark was because of her, which made him smile. He had always admired her fiery attitude and her unwillingness to accept defeat as an option. She was so strong-willed, and he didn't want to break that. He knew that if he were to bring her to the Emperor, he would have to ry and sway her to join him, and it tore him apart. Even he didn't want to be so absorbed by the Dark side, but it was like poison. He could feel the light in him dying every day he spent with the orange-yellow glow to his eyes, and he hated it. As much as he liked the power behind it all, he knew that he wasn't evil. He just let bad that he had dragged Anna into his own battle. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if she would have stayed behind on Endor. Would it be the same? He liked to think not. He wanted to live in a galaxy where she was not afraid to live, and the two of them could be together, not listening to anything else around them. However, there was no point thinking about what could have been Luke had to stay in the moment.

He walked to a large view screen at the end of one of the halls, and paused, looking down at the blue-orange surface of Coruscant below. She was down there, he knew, among the billions of other life forms, and of course, the Emperor.

He cursed under his breath. How could he had not realized it before? Of course that was why the Emperor was so pleased when he had heard the news. His palace was on Coruscant. She was walking right into his hands. He let out a deep breath, trying to control his thoughts.

 _Do not blame yourself_ , he growled in his head. There was no way he could have known that she was going to the planet, but she had to have known that the Emperor lived there. It was no secret that the old Jedi Temple had been converted into his own palace when he had taken power. Whatever was on Coruscant, it must be important.

He stalked into his quarters, the door shutting behind him and he paced the room, trying to get himself to calm down. He was not frantic as he was before, as this time, he was afraid for her. Clearly, if the Emperor wanted both him and Shay on the ground, there was some other ulterior motive. He ran a gloved hand through his hair, hoping that she could make an escape before he arrived. Before, on Naboo, he could at least have some time with her before the others got suspicious, but Shay was breathing down his neck now. He didn't fear Shay, not by a long shot, but he feared what the Major might do if he had a shot at Anna. He had hurt her before, and there was no telling if he would do it again. Luke's hands clenched into fists as he remembered what she had told him about Shay, the night that they had gone to the Death Star. He hated that everything was now out of his control, she he had such a firm grip on it before.

"Lord Skywalker, your shuttle is ready," a voice spoke suddenly over the com. He growled, and turned toward the door. Whatever was to happen now was out of his hands.

 _"That's cheating," she cried as she fell back against the floor, her saberstaff disengaging as she did so. He smiled and retracted his own._

 _"You need to be in touch with the Force," he said._

 _"I'm sure," she hissed as she stood up, pushing her long hair off of her shoulders. He walked over to her as she called for her saberstaff._

 _"You're getting tired," he said._

 _"You've been pushing me hard," she said. "You realize that we're probably not even going to need all of this when we leave tomorrow?"_

 _It was the night before they were to leave for Tatooine in a rescue mission for Han. Everything was set, and she had a point; if everything was to go according to plan, they wouldn't need their lightsabers. However, Luke did not trust anyone in the palace, aside from Lando, who had rooted himself as a guard there and was acting as their man on the inside._

 _"We can never be too careful," he said simply, and she rolled her eyes._

 _"Sure," she said. "Whatever you say. We've had this mission in planning for weeks, I'm sure that Leia knows what she's doing."_

 _"I'm not worried about our people," he said. "I'm worried about the unpredictable ones."_

 _Anna dropped her gaze and placed her hands on the sides on his arms. "Look, everything will be fine," she said. "Can't we just enjoy this night to ourselves?"_

 _He smiled and pulled her up against him. "Sure we can," he said, and she laughed, scrambling to get out of his grasp._

 _"Don't be so clingy," she teased, picking up her black jacket and pulling it on over her t-shirt._

 _"We're in a dangerous line of work, you and I," he said, clipping his lightsaber onto his belt. "Who knows if this I the last time we ever get to train again?"_

 _"It's not," she said with a smile. "As long as we're careful, and keep this on the down-low, we should be fine."_

 _He stepped closer to her. "Which part?" he asked._

 _"All of it," she said, and a dark look crossed her eyes. "I'm serious, Luke."_

 _"I know," he said._

 _"We'll win this war," she said. "And when it's all over, we'll be able to have a life together."_

Luke couldn't help but feel a little bit saddened at the memory. Everything had seemed to simple then; win the war, live life happy. Now, it seemed as though it had gone the opposite way. They had been torn apart, stuck on opposite sides of the war, and it killed him inside. He wanted to keep her safe, and now he couldn't even do that, not with Shay interfering in it all. More than anything, he just wanted to see her again. She was fading fast in his mind, and he knew that her image of him probably was too. She seemed to have left everything about her past behind, and he knew that the Light side of him was also dying as the rest of her was too.

He walked out of his quarters, still in emotional turmoil, even though he appeared neutral on the surface. Still, those who crossed his path moved out the way instantly, but he didn't even seem to notice. At one time it would have bothered him, but now he could barely even give any thought to it. Not when he was fighting with himself, old memories resurfacing even though he didn't want them to. He tried to go into the field with a clear mind, but tonight, it would be impossible.

He would bring four stormtroopers with him on the mission, and they stood at attention at the ramp of the shuttle as he walked up. They stared straight ahead and kept silent, their blasters held closely to their chests, and they made no movement as he passed, his black cloak flowing out behind him. They followed him in formation, and he found himself in the modified interior. It was his own personal shuttle now, so he had been given a shuttle where the back passenger area was modified into a rough living space, mostly intended for longterm space travel. The stormtroopers all migrated to the cockpit, and he settled down in his spot in the back of the shuttle, trying to keep himself calm. All he could do was hope that she didn't get herself into a dangerous situation. The fact that Shay had gone dark did not bode well for anyone, and he focused on her in his mind.

 _Take care of yourself_ , he thought. _Do not get into harms way. I am coming for you._

* * *

 **All caught up once again. 75k word goals are kind of a pig at first.**

 **I listened to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while writing this and oh man I got in a rhythm. Then I listened to the TFA soundtrack and got nowhere. Figures. (also if you listen to the TFA soundtrack on Spotify the time progression bar turns into a lightsaber and it's adorable)**

 **two updates in the same day omg you guys are lucky.**


	6. Chapter 6

**CarminaxBuranax: LOTR is definitely one of my favourites too! I also love writing to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack too. Basically everything but the TFA soundtrack and idk why (at least for this story anyway, pretty ironic).**

* * *

"You need to explain to me who you are," Tyler spat angrily. "And you have ten minutes."

Anna said nothing. She had known that had had been playing with fire when she had walked into the bar, but there was no telling that Tyler wouldn't listen to her.

"It's going to take a lot longer than ten minutes," she finally said.

Tyler clenched his jaw, but said nothing in return.

"My name is not Myra Thorne," she said.

"Clearly," he hissed, crossing his arms and leaning against the interior walls of the shuttle.

"I'm not an Imperial," she continued, not missing a beat. "All those things I told you are true in a way. I am on the run from the Empire, but not because I defected. I am the most wanted person in the galaxy."

"Anna Anara," Tyler finished for her, and she nodded. "I had a feeling that you would say that. You definitely did what you could to hide yourself from everything."

She nodded, playing with the stray ends of her short red hair. "You probably know who I am and what I stand for," she said. "But what you've read is most likely untrue. I'll start with an explanation.

"The Empire and the Alliance are after me, for completely different reasons. The Empire knows of my Force-Sensitivity, the leader has seen it firsthand. Their goal is to do one of two things; turn me to their side, or destroy me. It's the same choice that Luke was offered. They do not want me running about the galaxy, as I am dangerous, according to them. However, you know that it's not true.

"The Alliance is after me because they want me back. However, I can't find it in me to go back to them. I care for them all a great deal, but a part of me thinks that I will be shunned if I were to go back. They would think that I could've saved him, Luke, from falling to the Dark side, even though there was nothing I could've done. However, it's difficult to explain the inner workings of the Force to those who do not understand it. Not even I fully understand it, it's far to complex for any one being to master every part of it.

"The man in the bar, he's a Major with the Empire. Adam Shay, he calls himself. I was a part-time smuggler before I met Luke, and I used to smuggle things for this man. He was ruthless, just as he is now, though the difference is he's made his was to Monument Plaza to drink as opposed to hiding in the Undercity, where I met him. He's done terrible things, to me and those around him, which I'd rather not explain.

"The night that the Death Star II was destroyed, I returned to the Rebel fleet. They were all celebrating, knowing that they had dealt another major blow to the Empire, one from which it might not recover. However, when I arrived back to the fleet, the first person I saw was Leia. She saw me standing, alone, completely broken and in an emotional mess, and she knew. I couldn't explain anything that had happened, it was far too complex for even me to understand. I met a few of the others, close friends to both Luke and I, and I realized then that I couldn't stay with the Alliance. I felt as though I had failed them, so I left.

"When word got out about him turning to the Dark side, they started coming after me. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I was found out, so I adopted a new identity. I went to live on Naboo, as it was large enough to conceal me, and the sympathies it had with the Empire would also warn the Alliance away. From there, the rest is history."  
Tyler watched her for a moment, and she reached into her cloak, feeling the cool metal hilt of her saberstaff. She dropped her gaze and tightened her fingers around it, then pulled it out of the concealed pocket, and revealed it to him.

"I'm sure you've heard of this before," she said.

"The pearl saberstaff," he said, nodding. "Of course I have. It's iconic now."

She couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"So that's it?" he asked.

"For the most part, yes," she said. "I'm no hero like everyone wants me to be. The truth is, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to face Luke again, see what he's become. I really want to believe that I can bring him back to where he belongs, away from the Emperor, and take the Empire down once and for all. I just want all of this to stop. The only thing that's kept me sane these past months has been the prospect of finding my sister."

"Yes, about that," Tyler said. "I think I might have another lead. A name this time."

"Too bad you will not live to speak it," another voice sounded, and Anna glanced down the open ramp to see Shay walking up, a smug smile on his face, stormtroopers all standing in formation behind him.

Anna turned to face him, her cloak billowing out behind her and her face determined, never angry. For a moment, she looked like the brave warriors Tyler had heard rumours about.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "How did you find us?"

"Your old boyfriend led me here," he said with a smile as he reached the top of the ramp. Stormtroopers filed in after him.

"What do you want, Adam?" she growled.

"My orders were clear," he said, matching her tone with an equally powerful one of his own. "I am to bring you to the Emperor, alive and unharmed."

"You are delusional to think I will go without a fight," she spat back at him.

"Oh, I know," he said. "You must remember, Anna, that I have known you for much longer than he has, or the one standing behind you."

Anna glanced quickly over her shoulder. "Do not touch him," he said quietly. "He is not a part of this."

"You made him apart of this!" Shay yelled, and she straightened up at his sudden outburst. It would take much more than a simple temper tantrum to phase her. "He knows who you are, and you have marked him. You really think that the Emperor would let him run free? Then you are delusional." He turned his back to her, glaring down the open ramp of the shuttle.

"Adam," she said calmly. "You have disobeyed your Emperor's commands before, let's not forget that. This is not him talking, this is you. You think I wouldn't see through your façade, did you? This is personal."

"Of course it is," he said, turning quickly to face her again. "Everyone who made it off of the Death Star has a personal connection to you. Luke, he loved you. The Emperor, he wants your power, he's seen it in action. Me, I've been hunting you for years now. You do know how long I've waited for this moment, don't you?"

"You are not getting the satisfaction you expected from it," she said. "You expected me to run from you, to cower in fear of you, but I don't. You do not scare me, Adam. Maybe before, but I can easily kill you should I want to. Just as you could have when you and I stood face to face as the Death Star fell to pieces around us. But you didn't, and I won't. I refuse to stoop to your level."

In that moment she felt a change in the aura around them. It turned from the overwhelming amount of activity in the Force, to one of complete darkness, as though it all of the Light on the planet had been muted. She looked up at Shay.

"He's here, isn't he?" she asked.

"Of course he is," Shay responded. "I was not here just to grab a drink, I was on a mission, deployed into the field for the first time in a while. He's come to get you as well."

"What about me?" Tyler spoke up, and Anna winced, wishing that he would have just kept his mouth shut.

"You?" Shay asked. "You're lucky that Anna has stalled for so long. My orders are to kill you, and with you breaking that bottle over my head, I'd be more than happy to carry out those orders."

"No," Anna said powerfully. "Not yet. We haven't finished talking."

"There is nothing more to talk about," Shay said.

"That is where you're wrong," she said. "If you want me to go willingly, you'll answer a question that I have. If not, I'll decapitate you and your troops right here, in your own shuttle."

Shay's jaw tightened, and he knew that the threat was real. He glanced down to the saberstaff in her hand, and she gripped it tighter.

"What?" he hissed.

"I need to talk to him," she said. "Alone. No one else is to be in here."

Shay laughed. "You really think that I'd let you do that?" he asked.

"You can stand right outside the shuttle if you wish," she said. "I'm not asking the galaxy of you. I just want to speak to the man I love without all of the noise that surrounds him, and you for that matter."

"You are under the impression that you are in a situation in which you can negotiate with me," he said. "That's not the case."

"No, I know that," she said. "However, as much as you don't want to admit it, I am deadly. I can take out your forces right here, and disappear into the Outer Rim, where you will never find any trace of me again. Now unless you want that to happen, you'll listen to me."

"Is that a threat?"

"You're smart enough to figure it out."

Shay turned his back to her, lost in thought. He didn't care for her, not in the least, but at the same time, he did not want her to be lost to the galaxy. He knew how important he was to the Emperor, and if he did not please his ruler, there would be hell to pay. He would look even more foolish than Luke had when she had escaped from Naboo. He wanted to be the one to look powerful to prove that he could handle the position of General, the one he had his eye on. If he could bring her to the Emperor, it would skyrocket his chances of being selected. However, Luke stood in his way, being the Emperor's apprentice. He had full command of it all, but he was not devoted to the Empire. Shay remembered the Emperor's words. _"Ensure that Skywalker obeys his commands. There is a turmoil inside of him that I can sense, and he must remain loyal to the Empire. If he cannot, you must take the appropriate measures to put an end to it."_

"Adam…" she said weakly, and he closed his eyes. He knew that there was a frightened little girl hiding behind the layers of fierce attitude and strength. Still, he couldn't let that distract him from his goal.

"Skywalker has no wises to see you," he said.

"You're lying to me," she said, her voice strong again. "Why else would he come for me? I can feel his presence, and I know it's close."

Shay cursed under his breath. Of all the things she could be, she had to be Force-sensitive. He had completely forgotten that she could feel Luke's presence through it.

"Let me have a few minutes with him," she said. "Please, Adam. I'll come with you willingly, you have my word."

The Major looked over his shoulder at the girl, seeing the raw emotion on her face. "Five minutes," he said, and signalled to the stormtroopers surrounding them to leave. The two closest to Tyler grabbed him by the arms and pushed him toward the ramp. Anna just watched as he was led away from her.

* * *

 **awww yiss we get to see Luke and Anna together next chapter (finally)**


	7. Chapter 7

She had five minutes.

Five minutes with the man she loved, and she had no idea how to feel.

Shay was not doing this to be generous, she knew. He was doing this to watch them suffer, so that when he tore them apart it would be even more unbearable for them. He was twisted, but then again, the Empire encouraged it.

She heard heavy boots on the ramp and quickly tucked her saberstaff into her cloak. When she looked up, a dark figure swallowed the light coming into the shuttle from the ramp.

They stood face to to face for the first time in six months, just taking each other in, completely silent.

Luke looked the same. His blonde hair had grown longer, and was slightly ruffled from his hood, which he pushed of for his head. The most haunting thing that had changed about him were his once icy blue eyes were now swallowed in yellow, the mark of a Sith. Fine, hairlike marks ran down the sides of his face, she noticed, and she wondered what they were from. Though his physical changes were few, his energy had changed dramatically.

She didn't feel drawn to him as she once did, as it had been replaced by a toxic darkness that seemed to repel her. She could feel the Dark side emanating from him, but there was something else. Light was still there, and she could almost touch it, but it disappeared as quickly as she had noticed it.

On the other hand, physically, she had done everything to mask her true identity. Her once long, wavy brown hair had been cut, and dyed a dark red. She had a few new scars, and Luke knew that they were from a lightsaber, his own. He winced at the thought. Aside from the physical changes, she was just as he remembered her, the undeniable light that surrounded her. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he could tell that she was afraid of him.

"We only have five minutes," he said.

She raised her eyes to look into his newly-branded, haunting ones. "So we do," she said. "What happened?"

Luke turned his head over his shoulder, and outstretched a hand. The ramp to the shuttle closed, and he turned to look at her once again. She stepped back, still not used to his dark gaze.

"You know that he didn't kill me," he said. "You didn't feel it through the Force as you should have. You were confused."

"Of course I was," she said. "You weren't moving, at all. It didn't even look like you were breathing."

"I was in a stasis, of sorts," he said. "He was keeping me alive. He told me afterward that I had a power too great to waste."

She didn't need to ask who "he" was. It could remain unspoken.

"Why did you turn?" she asked. "You could have come back to me."

"That stasis I was in, it _did_ something to me," he responded. "It was as if it corrupted the Light in me with all of the darkness being used to keep me alive. When I woke up, I had these." He gestured to his eyes. "He said that I would turn, and I had every intention of stopping him. Then he threatened your life. He threatened Leia's, Han's, all of them. He said he knew where the Alliance was. However, he did not expect you to leave the Alliance and go into exile."

Anna was silent for a moment, taking it all in. "You remain there because you must?" she asked.

He nodded. "I hate nearly everything about this," he said. She winced when he said "nearly". Something else was holding him there. "The only thing that I like is the power it comes with. Once you have it, it's intoxicating."

Anna stepped back from him again. Luke was never one to care about power, yet here he was, proclaiming that it was the only good thing that had surfaced from it all.

"What about Vader?" she asked. "I've heard nothing about him."

"My father has critical injuries, from which he will not recover," Luke said sadly. "They were not all inflicted by me. The Emperor likes to only have one protege at a time. However, if word were to get out that he was slowly killing his apprentice, the Empire would fall completely."

Anna's jaw tightened. Even though she didn't see Vader as a soul that could be redeemed, she didn't want to see him suffer. Even after all of the atrocities he committed, he didn't deserve to be slowly killed by his own master.

"There's more," Luke spoke up again. "Because he kept me alive, he can control me, of sorts. I fear splitting from him because if he wanted to, he could kill me."

"Then there is only one thing to do," she said. "We have to kill him."

"There is no 'we'," he said solemnly. "I can't kill him, he controls me and could kill me before I get a single strike in. There is only one person who can kill him." He paused. "Two, actually."

Anna could read into what he was saying, and she looked up at him. "You know who it is, don't you?" she asked. "My sister."

He nodded. There was no sense in hiding it. "She's here," he said. "If you get in touch with the Force, you can find her, but you are playing a dangerous game the longer you stay here."

She stepped closer to him, and he eyed her cautiously. There was only about three feet of space between them now, and he wanted to close that distance, but he knew that just being in the shuttle with her, alone, was pushing every limit that the Emperor had. He was already on edge with his new master because of the failed mission to Naboo, and if the Emperor was to find out about this little meeting, it would not end well not only for the Dark Jedi, but for everyone he had considered friends.

"So is she," Anna said. "She is a Jedi as well, Luke, and if I can find her, taking him down will be simpler. I will not leave this planet until I find her."  
Luke let out an exasperated sigh. Her stubbornness was charming at first, but now, it was clouding her judgement. "The Emperor will find you first," he warned. "His palace is on this very planet. The old Jedi Temple, not far from here."

Anna dropped her gaze, back up from him until she leaning against the wall of the shuttle. Out of all the planets in the galaxy his palace could have been on, it had to be on Coruscant. She cursed under her breath for being to stupid as to rush into something like this. For all she knew, her sister could be in the clutches of the Emperor. He may have lured her here, using her sister as bait. Why had she not thought of this beforehand?

Luke seemed to sense when she was in turmoil over. "You couldn't have known," he said softly. "Family blinds you, I know that now. I know how much you want to find this girl. Do not blame yourself. I just need you to get out of here as fast as you can, and go as far as you can."

"I can take care of myself, Luke," she said boldly, her tone carrying an extra bite to it that she winced at afterward. "You should know as well as anyone."

"I do," he said. "But, I am under direct orders to bring you to his palace."

Behind him, the ramp opened once again. Shay and several stromtroopers walked up, and Luke stood silent as they flocked to her.

"Five minutes is up," Shay said. "Go, bind her hands and bring her to the shuttle."

"She will stay with me," Luke stated. "She will be in my shuttle."

Shay turned to the Dark Jedi slowly and gave him a sarcastic smile. "What makes you think that will happen, Skywalker?" he asked.

"You do not know how to handle a Force-sensitive, let alone a Jedi," Luke said, his voice unwavering. "It takes one to handle one. I will take four stormtroopers with me. I do not trust you with her."

"Your personal feelings rule you," Shay hissed, and Luke spun on his heel to face the Major. Even though Luke was not a very tall man, The way he carried himself made him appear much larger than he really was, and Anna watched as a look of fear crossed the Major's face, if only for a moment.

"As do yours, Major," Luke spat. "You don't think I know the history between the two of you? It's almost common knowledge."

Shay turned to face her, wanting nothing more than to strike her for telling the Emperor's apprentice, but Luke moved in front of him. "She will come with me," Luke said. "Remember, I'm the irreplaceable one in this system. You are expendable."

The Major looked up at Luke, his gaze hard, not giving away any emotion, but Anna could feel his anger though the Force. "The Emperor wants us immediately," he said. "Only three of us."

"You can take the companion," Luke said. "Make yourself feel useful for once."

"No, Luke, leave Tyler out of this," she said, trying to shake the stormtroopers off of her, but they held her tight. "He does not have any stake here."  
Luke dropped his game and turned his head slightly to face her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I cannot disobey my master."

There was something in his tone that suggested sympathy towards her and Tyler, but she wasn't sure. However, she did feel as though there was a part of him that still remained salvageable. He was not a lost cause, and she knew that she could get him back to the Light if she tried. However, she knew that she wasn't strong enough.

"Go then," Shay said to the stormtroopers holding her. "Two more, stay here with them. The rest of you, come with me."

Shay then turned and walked down the ramp of the shuttle, several stormtroopers following him. Anna watched as Luke stayed completely still.

 _Does he even have a plan?_ She thought to herself, hoping that he gave her some sort of hint as to what he was thinking. Luke was always a man of few words, but he was never silent for this long unless he was deep in thought.

He turned his head over his shoulder, and gave her a tiny little nod. She blinked and glanced at the stormtroopers around her, hoping that they hadn't noticed the motion. Could he read her mind now? Was he really that powerful? Questions began to well up, but she didn't think too much on them. She had to be focused for whatever lay ahead.

"Bring her," Luke said, his voice suddenly powerful as he turned quickly to address the stomtroopers. "Do not underestimate her. She may look small, but she is more powerful than the four of you put together."

He then turned and began to walk down the ramp, and she was pushed forward, which she responded with a usual shake of her arm. Even though her true self had been buried for half a year, her fiery attitude never left.

Luke watched as she had a miniature fight with one of the stormtroopers and let a small grin break out on his face. She was still the same on the inside, and it made him joyous. The time away from everything had not broken her spirit, and his fall had not weakened her as he thought it might.

All he could do was hope that the plan he had only had several minutes to prepare would work just as he had thought of it. His part was done now, all he could do was wait for the other half to come through.

 _Don't disappoint_ , he thought with a smile.

* * *

 **Finally the chapter you've all been waiting for!**

 **So I looked at my outline today and realized that I am moving way too fast (this chapter was the second major plot point out of three), so I had to make some changes to my initial idea. I still plan on making this story sit around 75k words, but it will slow down quite a bit after the next chapter, and you'll see why. We'll probably have chapters devoted to flashbacks and all of that in order to fill in the gaps. I have a lot of ideas for this story, I just did a really poor job of planning it all out .-. This is what happens when I don't spend the two months before Camp starts planning everything out.**

 **Thank you all for your feedback!**


	8. Chapter 8

As the small party walked, Anna felt as though she was being marched to her death. Luke may have a plan, but it didn't soothe her nerves, as she didn't know what it was. She knew that Shay had every intention of bringing her to the Emperor's palace,

Luke's shuttle was the same class as the one she had stolen, the difference being that it was modified for him. The passenger seats in the back of the shuttle had been covered to a small living space, not too extravagant, but enough to state that he had status in the ranks of the Empire.

"Go man the shuttle and ensure we take off without issue," he said. "I'll deal with her."

The stormtroopers knew better than to disobey him, and Anna wondered if he had ever shown his power to them or if they were all fearful of him automatically. He reached out and took her arm, too forcefully for her liking, and she instinctively tried to shrug him off. It came as no surprised when he didn't relinquish his grip. The stormtroopers filed into the cockpit to get the shuttle ready, and Luke turned to the small living space, directing her to the doors in the back that would normally be the equipment storage.

"Whatever you do, don't try to escape," he said. "I have an exit strategy."

She could help but smile at him, and she felt his own happiness through the Force. "And you have taken care of everything, I presume?" she asked.

"I hope so," he said. "All she has to do is come through for me."

"She?" Anna asked.

"You'll see," Luke responded, and opened the door to the equipment locker. Inside was modified slightly to act as a holding cell, and she looked up at him.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"You won't be in there for long," he said. "Trust me."

She felt her skin crawl as he made the request. Though she still loved him and knew that the Light side of him was still there, he was still a Dark Jedi. He still worked for the enemy. Asking her to trust him was difficult for her to fathom, but she somehow knew that he was telling the truth. She walked into the room, and he shut the door behind her, leaving her alone in the bare room.

The storage room had been converted so a small holding cell, clearly designed for short-term travel. All that it had was a raised area to act as a seat, but that was about it. Still, she didn't have to worry about getting comfortable. If Luke was telling the truth, she wouldn't have to get accustomed to anything in the bare room.

The shuttle lurched underneath her, and she stumbled against the wall, bracing herself as it lifted off of the landing pad. All she could so now was focus. Luke clearly did not want to bring her to face the Emperor, he still cared for her that much. She wanted to know what his plan was, but her reaction to whatever was going to happen would be genuine, which would be an advantage should the stormtroopers, and Shay, get suspicious. It was no secret that her and Luke had history, not by a longshot, and she was sure that his request to bring her on board his own personal shuttle had raised eyebrows. However, nothing was going to happen, and even though she was still afraid of him, she trusted him way more than Shay. She didn't fear the Major, though she did hate him, and that was a dangerous emotion to be playing with.

Her mind wandered to Tyler as she thought of Shay. He was not dead, yet. She would have felt it if he had died. What was Shay playing at with regards to her friend? He seemed so intent to kill Tyler when they were on her own shuttle that she was surprised he had even waited for her and Luke to have their conversation. She would have thought the Major would have had her companion slaughtered right on the landing pad, and she knew that he had been considering it. She had witnessed great atrocities that he had committed when she had frequented the Undercity. Shay must have some hidden agenda, and she didn't want to know what it was. It involved her and Tyler, no doubt, and he wanted to hurt both of them. She was afraid of the Major for a reason, and that was because he was one of the few people that had ever made her look weak. Exceptions were made, such as Luke, but his spirit was so powerful that she had no chance whatsoever. However, Shay terrified her psychologically. He could get into her head in ways that no one ever had before. She ran from him for years before they had stood face to face just before she had made her escape.

She rested against the close walls of the shuttle, looking up at the dim lighting overhead. The Emperor's palace was not far from here, as she could feel the darkness moving nearer and nearer with every second that passed, and it wasn't just Luke's. The Emperor's was a much different feeling than anything else she had felt, as his seemed to be life-sucking. She could feel herself being repelled by it, and it wafted through the Force like mist, its corruptive powers undeniable. Luke was much easier to understand. It just felt cold around him, but the Light in him was at odds with his darkness at all times. She knew it was still there. She wouldn't be alive if Luke had truly accepted the Dark side.

A memory suddenly hit her, an older one, when her and Luke would spend their time training with each other. It was an image that had halted her ever since Luke had turned. She had seen Luke with piercing yellow eyes in a dream before, and it scared her. She had foreseen him turning, even though she didn't know what it was at first. It didn't lessen the guilt that she felt, knowing that she should have been more careful. However, she didn't even know if she could have done anything.

She suddenly felt a shift in the Force, and one that was actually good. It wasn't the suffocating darkness that surrounded her, instead, it was piercing light. Not one second after she sensed it, they shuttle shook violently.

The shockwave sent her crashing to the floor, even though she was seated. The shuttle was in a nosedive, she knew. She pushed herself up, only to hit the floor again when the shuttle straightened itself out. Even from inside the holding area, she could hear the frantic noises and alarms that only meant one thing, failure. She couldn't believe that it was so long ago that she had once been in her out small ship, crashing toward the surface of Dagobah, the crash that had changed her life forever, as cliché as it sounded.

Another shockwave was sent through the ship, and this time she felt it hit something from below. They must've fallen far in the seemingly-short amount of time that they were nosediving, and she heard panicked voices from the cockpit. All of the voices sounded as though they were being filtered through their helmets, however, there was a distinct lack of Luke's voice. Was this part of his plan?

She lurched forward as the shuttle grounded itself. She pushed herself up quickly, and called her saberstaff into her hand from inside of her cloak. She was surprised that Luke had not taken it from her; either he didn't know, it was intentional. She took one kick at the door, and it fell open, begging the question over whether or not Luke had locked it. Still, she didn't linger on it for too long.

She walked out to the four stormtroopers that had been flying the shuttle with their blasters drawn, firing at a single figure, one that Anna was unable to pinpoint clearly. Whoever is was moved very quickly as had fantastic footworks. Luke was nowhere to be found, but she could feel powerful Light coming from the figure. She ignited her saberstaff from behind and charged down the ramp.

The stormtrooper standing closest to the ramp was not expecting a pearl-white blade to pierce his chest. Anna didn't dwell on it for long, pulled her saber out of the stormtrooper quickly. Even though she was at war, she was still not keen on having to kill. However, out in the field, she couldn't think about it, it needed to be a reflex.

The shuttle had come down on a high hangar, looking over the cityscape, the Emperor's palace not far from them. However, now was not the time to worry about that. Shay's shuttle had also been brought down, and the stormtroopers there were closing on the figure, which Anna could see fully now.

The face was obstructed, with only the eyes visible. A scarf was wrapped around the top of the head and around the nose and mouth. A beige cloak was wrapped around the figure, but ti didn't seem to obstruct movement at all. The most defining feature about the figure was the silver-blue lightsaber held in the right hand. She was partially mesmerized by the magnificent blade, and wanted noting more than to take it all in. However, there were far too many stormtroopers bearing down, and Anna knew she had to do something. She caught a glimpse of Shay, hiding up in his shuttle like the coward he was. Not thinking twice, she charged through the thin wall of stormtroopers, taking out two with her dual blades, and forced the attention of three of them, who began to fire at her without hesitation. She didn't have much trouble deflecting their bullets, even though she was a little bit out of practice. It came back to her fast, her move falling into grace relatively easily. She spun on her heels and brought down one of her blades on the blaster of a stormtrooper, then spun quickly to catch another trooper by searing dangerously close to the helmet. The other figure seemed to notice that Anna was good at distracting, and quickly moved over to finish off the startled stormtroopers. Anna nodded once at the figure and moved so that they were almost back to back. With he saberstaff, Anna had to watch the length, but the figure seemed to be taking care with moving around the humming pearl-white blade.

At that moment, Luke appeared from inside of the shuttle. Anna gave him a confused look, but didn't care to say anything. There were other things that needed her attention.

"Stand down," he ordered his troops. The blasters fell to their sides, and Shay poked his head out from his hiding place in his shuttle.

"What do you think you're doing, Skywalker?" the Major demanded, trading out of his shuttle. Luke had his back turned to the Major, and Anna saw the eye roll as Shay talked. "These troops, you especially, can take these two down easily. Are you assisting them?"

Luke spun his heel and ignited his lightsaber as Shay approached, making the Major jump back suddenly. Anna saw that Luke's green lightsaber was no longer in use, which didn't surprise her, but the colour of his blade now was a deep purple, which she felt drawn to.

"There is not a chance with two powerful Force users, Major," Luke spat. "You do not know the Force. Do not pretend like you do. It only makes you look foolish."

Shay straightened up. "The Emperor will not be happy with you," he said.

"And I will deal with that when the time comes," Luke said, and slowly turned to face the two standing back to back, their magnificently-coloured blades striking against the backdrop of Coruscant. "What is it that you came for?"

"Where is the other?" the figure said, and Anna could tell that he voice was slightly feminine. She felt a warm coming from this girl that she had not felt from anything else, except for Luke. She seemed strangely familiar.

"Major, go get the boy," Luke said.

"I do not take orders from you, Skywalker," Shay spat.

The figure stepped forward. "All it takes is for me to dismantle your ship is a well-placed slash with my weapon, Major," she said boldly. She was very confident, and Anna admired it. "Unless you want to be stuck here with Skywalker, you will do as I say. Bring me the other."

Shay was clearly afraid of the cloaked figure, and scurried off into his shuttle. Luke turned to the troops. "Go," he said. "Make sure the shuttles can still fly."

The landing pad cleared faster than Anna had ever seen stormtroopers move before, and all that was left were the three warriors, their blades humming and sparking.

"You held up your end well," Luke commented to the cloaked figure.

"Anything for an old friend, Luke," she said, her true voice coming through now. Anna gave him a confused look.

"You will learn who this is, love," he said with a smile. "Soon enough, your questions will be answered."

Shay walked back down the ramp, one hand holding Tyler;s shoulder and the other holding his arm. He looked slightly bloodied on his face, and

Anna shot the Major a deathly glare.

"What did you do to him?" she hissed.

"It is nothing you should concern yourself with," Shay spat back, matching her tone. He undid the binders on Tyler's wrists and pushed the boy forward forcefully. He didn't accept defeat well, that much was clear.

"You have what you want," he said. "Go."

The figure began to pace, and Anna could only stand and admire her confidence. This mysterious girl had heaps of it. Not many would be willing yo stand in front of a Dark Jedi and an Imperial Major and act completely in control. The situation could turn bad if Luke had the mind to, but Anna could sense that this was planned out. Luke knew this girl, and obviously trusted her.

"You will leave these two," she said calmly. "You will not come looking for them, you will not do anything to harm them. Do I make myself clear?"

Shay blinked a few times, as if he was having difficultly registering what was just said. "You are in no position to give threats," he said. "The Empire is not intimidated by someone like you."

"Maybe not," she said. "But you are. I can see it in your face. You're afraid of me, of her, of Skywalker. The Force-sensitives are clearly not something you're an expert in."

Shay gave her a harsh look.

"Go on then," she said. "I'm sure Palpatine already knows that the shuttles carrying her precious cargo have been shot out of the sky, and will wish to speak with you at once. Best not to delay with him, the punishment will only be worse."

Shay didn't say anything. Instead, he turned and walked back into his shuttle, the ramp closing behind him. Luke disengaged his lightsaber and clipped it onto his belt. As soon as Shay was gone from the hangar, he gave the figure a slight nod.

"Keep her safe," he said.

"I will, Luke," she responded with a nod of her head.

"What about you?" she asked him. " _He's_ not going to be happy with you."

"I can handle it," he said. "I've been through worse."

Anna turned to look at the girl standing next to her, and they both disengaged their lightsabers.

"The double-pearl blades," the figure said. "What a gorgeous weapon."

Anna smiled at the compliment. "Yours is no slouch," she said. "I've never seen something like that before."

"You will find I have a knack for being fancy," she said, and clipped her saber onto her belt.

"Who are you?" Tyler finally spoke up, his face still showing signs of shock. He was rubbing his wrists, and Anna could see the red lines that were very visible against his skin. The blood that ran along the side of his face wasn't bleeding, but it still putter on edge that Shay had hurt him for seemingly no reason at all.

The figure turned to look at Tyler, then reached up behind her head and pulled out a loose end of the scarf, unwinding it from around her face. Anna watched, intrigued to find out who this girl was. She was Force-sensitive, maybe even a Jedi. The remains of the the scarf fell away, revealing her shoulder length red hair and sharp features. She looked to be right around Anna's age, maybe slightly older. She carried herself proudly, and as she gazed into Anna's eyes, that hint of familiarity returned. She was sure that she had seen the face before, but ti was unclear where, or even if it was real. If it wasn't then, it was now, and it had just saved her and Tyler's life.

"I've waited for twenty-three years to meet you, Anna," the girl said with a smile.

"Her name is Fable Astin," Luke said. "She is the one you've been looking for."

"You're…" Anna began.

"Sister," Fable said with a nod. "Yes. I will answer all of your questions soon, but for now, we need to get out of here. Palpatine's lapdogs will be scouring this area in no time, and Luke needs to get back."

Luke walked to the ramp of his shuttle, not looking back at the three of them. He had already caused too much suspicion.

"Let's go, we need to move fast," Fable said, and as best as Anna could process it all, she began to move away from the shuttle, into the city of Coruscant below.

* * *

 **So, after a bunch of digging around in the Extended Universe (which I love so much), I've come up with a lot more material. I've shifted everything over so that the last chapter was only the 1st pinch point (or whatever you want to call it; it's basically the "effect" part of "cause and effect")**

 **Also, since I updated early yesterday, I finally did some more world building with the characters and got my outline straight (although I barely made my word goal because of that, lol). Hopefully that'll help me a little bit.**

 **Anyway, we meet Fable Astin! She was one of two Star Wars characters that I was debating making Anna's sister (you'll meet the other one later).**

 **Silver-blue for Fable's lightsaber and Magenta for Luke's because traditional lightsaber colours are boring. I want all of the rare ones (all of them)**


	9. Chapter 9

**CarminaxBuranax: -internal screaming intensifies- I'm so glad my plot twists make a bit of sense, lol.**

* * *

The hangar that the shuttles had crashed on was multi-tiered, making escaping much more difficult than it needed to be. Tyler struggled the most, his agility not at the level that the two girls were at, but he was able to make some difficult jumps quite easily. Stealth was an acquired skill, one that all of them possessed after spending so long in hiding.

The lower part of the hanger held a light freighter ship, modelled just like a certain ship she had flown in with an ex-smuggler and a former princess. It was the same make, not doubt, a YT-1300. Modifications had been done to it, and it was a little bit beat up, but that was the price that came with fighting a war that had lasted decades.

"Reminds you of the _Falcon_ , doesn't she?" Fable asked, glancing back to see Anna staring at the ship. "This is the _Prodigal_. I used her a lot during missions for the Rebellion with my co-pilot, who you'll meet later. For now, I think I have some explaining to do, to both of you."

"That sums it up well," Tyler muttered, and Anna turned to face him.

"What the hell did Adam do to you?" she asked suddenly, and Tyler gave her a sharp look.

"Now's not the time," he said, reaching up to touch the side of his head where a trail of blood ran down the side. "I'm fine now, it's done. I think you should have more questions for your sister."

"Endless," she admitted, and follow Fable as she walked into the freighter.

Unlike the _Falcon_ , the _Prodigal_ had the passenger design, whereas the _Falcon_ was set up for cargo. The central system was the same, a circular build in the centre of the ship, the circuitry bay to the right, and the refresher to the left. The large engineering bay was located on the far wall to the right, the door wide open.

"Come inside, I'll show you around," Fable said. "This ship is built for passengers, unlike the _Falcon_."

"The _Falcon_ was also really heavily modified," Anna commented. "It was more of a mix between the 1300p and the 1300f builds."

Fable smiled to herself. "Yes, Han Solo is quite the guy when it comes to his baby," she said. "Everything must be perfect."

"No kidding," Anna said.

"There are two rooms on this wall," Fable said, point to the wall behind her. "Another is on the opposite side of the central system here, but that's where Deke and I usually stay. There are also two beds in the engineering bay."

She began to walk down the hallway, Tyler and Anna following at a slower pace, taking the entire ship in.

"The lounge is straight through that door," Fable continued. "That's where I want to talk to you once you get your cloak off. The refresher is there if you need it."

Anna nodded her thanks, then turned to Tyler as Fable continued around the main corridor, presumably to her chambers. "Are you sure you don't need that cut looked at?" she asked.

"Yes," Tyler said, slightly annoyed, and Anna was taken aback at his attitude. He was never one to use any sort of tone with her, not in the time she had known him. Still, it didn't stop her from approaching him and placing her fingertips on the side of his face, trying to get a better look at the cut.  
"You should at least get it bandaged," she said.

"I'm fine," Tyler said coldly. "Worry about yourself."

Anna pulled her hand away and gave him a surprised look. He didn't seem to notice, or he didn't care.

"I'll go take my cloak off then," she said, and turned on her heel, pushing the door to the passenger quarters open. The room was small, but that was expected. The walls were purely beds, which were more like cots, but Anna wasn't too fussed about it. She had been sleeping on the ground for the past six months, and anything that was raised, with a blanket and a pillow, was almost luxurious to her. She shrugged her clock off, beating it slightly with the hilt of her saberstaff, dust flying up from it. She turned her head in disgust. Living out in the woods did not offer a ton of time for laundry, but she had been used to living a family privileged lifestyle in the year before Luke's fall. Even her career as a smuggler had paid her enough to live comfortably, even though she didn't have a permanent residence.

Still, she couldn't help but feel at ease with everything. She had expected herself to be beside herself with excitement when she had finally stood face to face with her sister, but instead, everything felt right. The _Prodigal_ felt as though it was a longtime home that she had been away from, and Fable was such a calming presence to have around. She was very skilled in the Force, and more than anything Anna wanted to know who her true parents were. Fable's light had been almost blinding when Anna had sensed it, but she hadn't shied away. It felt as though that Light had been torn from her long ago, and having it back made her feel whole for the first time since Luke had fallen.

She lay her cloak on the bed opposite of the door, and tightened her grip on her saberstaff. The clothing she wore underneath was a cream-coloured tunic and tight pants that reached her ankles, not leaving much room to hold a lightsaber. She had always depended on her cloak to hold it for her, but she decided that carrying it wouldn't be too much of a bother. After all, she only had it because she loved the weapon, and treated it as if it were her source of life and strength. Sure Fable would understand. Tyler wouldn't, but she expected that. He was probably still bitter about the lies she had told him for six months.

Anna walked out of her quarters and turned to her left, where she saw Fable sitting at the round table in the lounge. The other Jedi's back was turned, but looked up as Anna walked into the corridor and turned her head. Anna smiled, feeling herself relax as she walked forward to the table. Tyler was still nowhere in sight.

"You probably have a lot of questions for me," Fable said as Anna approached. "Hopefully the really long story I'm about to tell you will answer most of them."

"I hope so too," Anna said sitting down in the seat next to Fable, and swivelled it to face her.

"First, let's start at the very beginning," Fable said. "Our mother was a Jedi master. Our father was her padawan, with whom she fell in love with. I was born nineteen years before the Battle of Yavin, so I'm the same age as Luke. Father was killed by a rival Jedi when Mother was pregnant with you. It was a great risk she was taking, as she managed to flee the Great Jedi Purge, however she knew that we had to be kept safe. We were the children of two Force-Sensitive parents, and our connection to the Force is very strong. She knew that Palpatine would be after us, so she had to figure a plan to keep both of us safe. She had connections to a couple that lived on Corulag, whom she thought she could trust.

"The Anara's, Tuathal and Maegan, knew our mother from the time they had spent on Coruscant when they were a young couple. They didn't know that we were Force-sensitive, and Mother didn't know that their allegiance to the Alliance was not declared. Mother wanted us to be safe, and didn't want a life on the run as the only life her children would even know. However, she trusted them enough to let you go to them, and she regretted it for years. When you were just an infant, they adopted you, took you in under their name to hide you from the Empire.

"My life was spent on the run for years until I joined the Rebellion just before the Battle of Yavin. I learned how to hide my emotions from my mother, simply because I couldn't afford to tell her what I was thinking or feeling at the time. I was able to block her out completely after a while, which she found very surprising. We could never stay in one place for long, since the Empire was everywhere, and I didn't understand it at first. I always hated living in fear, and when I was a teenager, I picked up a lightsaber for the first time. I felt then like I knew what I could do, and I began to practice with it. It was a well-needed distraction for me, just as finding solace in your moments between grief did for you. I felt as though I could take on anyone when I had that blade in my hand. Shortly after that, Mother started training me with the Force, mostly meditation and getting in touch with my surroundings, that sort of thing.

"I join the Rebellion shortly after I turned eighteen, mostly specializing in missions of sabotage against the Empire. I finally had a place to direct the pent up feelings of anger, sadness and fear, and bringing down the Empire was something I wanted to do in order to feel like I had purpose in my life."

"Why did I never meet you?" Anna asked. It was a question she had wanted to ask for a long time, as she had been with the Rebellion for over a year before Luke had fallen, and she didn't remember Fable.

"Where we were, our paths never crossed," she said. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I wanted to come for you earlier. I heard the reports about Luke on Bespin, and that he was accompanied by a Force-sensitive girl. Once I heard that her name was Anna, I knew that it was the sister I had thought I had lost long ago. Mother had told me at first that I had no sister, and I believed her up until I started doing my own digging. I found you not soon after that, and once I knew that you were now part of the Rebellion, I wanted to come to meet you properly. However, Mon Mothma denied me overtime I asked, saying that she needed me elsewhere. I tried, I really did. I knew Luke well, more than just the pilot who had fired the shot to destroy the first Death Star. He and I always felt drawn to each other, never romantically, but through the Force. I met him when we were stationed on Hoth, and he knew of his Force-sensitivity. I was trained, to a degree, which I'll explain if you want me to."

"Only if it isn't too painful for you," Anna said, and Fable smiled.

"Luke said that you have my fiery attitude, but you were very kind-hearted beneath," she said. "Must be a family trait."

"That, and being a smuggler teaches you to stay neutral to it all," Anna said.

"I have things to ask you about that as well, but that's for a later time," Fable said, and looked up as another presence entered the room. "Are you all right, Tyler?"

"Why must you two ask me that every time you see me?" he growled, and Fable turned to look at him straight on.

"Might I remind you that you are on my ship?" she asked. "Do not take a tone with me, it will not end well for you."

Tyler glanced over to Anna, seeing that she was giving him a disapproving look. "Forgive me," he said. "I think I'm just a bit shaken up from everything that has happened over the past day and half. I think I need to lie down for a while."

Fable nodded to him. "Take as long as you need," she said. "I will wake you once Deke comes back from getting supplies. I'm sure Anna will catch you up on all of the important things."

The younger sister smiled, and looked up at Tyler. "Go rest," she said. "You could also do with a shower."

"That's the plan," he said, and turned to walk into the small room. Fable swivelled her chair back toward Anna.

"Anyway," she said. "As I was saying. I was a captain in the Rebellion, and I commanded the Harrier Infiltration Team. It was made up of myself Deke, my co-pilot, and Arecelis Acosta, a tech officer. After the Battle of Yavin, we were sent on a mission to destroy a communications bunker on Nysza III. It was simple enough, and we were all experienced enough to do it. However, what we didn't know was that there was a Dark Jedi protecting the bunker, one named Vialco. He ended up killing Arecelis and engaging me in a lightsaber duel. However, I was no match for him, and I tempted fate by channeling the Dark side. Deke and I escaped as we destroyed the bunker, but our spirits were low. We had completed the objective, but losing Arecelis was tough. There was a part of me that always thought that I would have been able to save him."

"I feel that way with Luke," Anna said. "Then, I remind myself what the circumstance was that night. I thought he was dead. It's difficult to accept in hindsight, but you eventually me past it and realize that there was nothing that you could've done."

Fable nodded, deep in thought. Luke made up a large part of the common ground the two sisters had between each other, but it seemed to hurt Anna to talk about him. Fable could see it in her sister' eyes, the sadness that had welled up over the months of seeing him on the opposite side of everything, the Force, the war, love.

"Deke and I made it off of Nysza III," Fable continued with her story. "We went back to Iscera, where we were supposed to wait for our next orders from the Rebellion headquarters. He had grabbed tickets to a play, which was good, since I needed to take my mind off of everything that had happened on Nysza III. The lead actor, Jaalib Brandl, had the Force within him, I could sense it. I was mesmerized by a lot of things, but I knew that Force-sensitives were becoming rarer and rarer. I met him briefly before he had to fly out, and I knew that there was something about him that I could really place.

"That night, I was plagued by a nightmare. I saw Vialco playing with my emotions, trying to get me to fear him, and he succeeded. I knew then what his intentions were. He wanted to turn me to the Dark side. He knew that I had the power to become a powerful Force-user, I just needed the training to get to that point. I was terrified and helpless, and that was something I hated. I always wanted to be in control of my own fate, but he had access into my mind and I couldn't block him out. That was probably the part that scared me the most; I had no idea how to stop him. Deke didn't really understand what I was going through, but it was something that only another Jedi could understand. I had Deke run a background check against Jaalib, and came up with some suspicious activity, but I doubt you want to hear about that. I need a ship so that I could go after Adalric Brandl, Jaalib's father, in hopes that he would train me.

"Vialco plagued me with yet another nightmare, right before I reached Trulalis, the planet that housed Adalric. I found Jaalib there as well, rehearsing with his father. Jails was not happy that I had come, and he made that very clear, saying that his father did not wish to train the others that had come. However, when I spoke with Adalric, he was intent on helping me, so we began to train.

"Training was near-impossible with him. He asked great things of me, and got incredibly frustrated when I couldn't perform to the best of my ability. I began to wonder if it was a mistake coming to the planet, but Jaalib made it bearable. He made sure that I had a hot bath and a meal after every training session, which was very much welcome after a hard day of verbal assaults. Aladric humiliated me and made me feel incredibly weak, and I began to doubt myself.

"However, Aladric left for a few days, which meant no training. During that time, Jaalib asked if I'd like to accompany him on a picnic to make up for his behaviour when I had first arrived. He told me the full story of the play Deke and I saw on Iscera. He also told me that he didn't want to become a Jedi because it was his life's goal to be an actor. However, he gave me advice on how to please his father during training, and it was at that moment when I realized that I had fallen in love with Jaalib."

She stopped, looking down at her hands. "I think that's enough for now," she said, looking up as Tyler walked back into the room. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," he admitted. "I only heard the last part of your story."

"If you know love, you know then what I need to ask you," Anna said, and Fable turned. "Luke is being held under the Emperor's control as my life, along with others, are under threat."

Fable nodded. "He did tell me about that," she said.

"Luke can't kill Palpatine on his own," Anna continued. "I know that he wants to come back, I can feel the light in him, but he needs our help."

"You're saying that we need to kill Palpatine?" Tyler cried from across the room. "Are you mad?"

"Tyler…" Anna said, exasperated, but the boy turned, walking out of the lounge in a fit once again. Anna let her head fall into her hand, running her hand up through her hair. Fable just placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"He still hasn't come to terms with you being you yet," Fable said. "Just give him time. He'll come around."

"I hope so," Anna said. "I— we need him."

* * *

 **Sorry for missing yesterday, I had a hell of a time planning this chapter out, and it in involved a ton of research on Fable Astin (trying to find the stories she's involved in written in English…a lot easier said than done). I will definitely revise this when Camp is over, just because I want to take the time to actually read the stories and analyze them instead of just skimming them and getting the basics (again, something I should've done in the prep months but noooo).**


	10. Chapter 10

**Double update by because why not**

* * *

Anna stood up, intent on following Tyler, but was surprised when an outstretched arm stopped her.

"He doesn't understand our way of life," Fable said. "He needs time in order to accept it all. He's been though a lot today."

The younger girl settled back down in her chair, resting her head against the back. Tyler had a reason to be bitter toward her, but he was acting as if he didn't even know her. In a way, it was true, but she had displayed the same personality when she was under the name of Myra Thorne. Those six months were not wasted, at least, she didn't think so.

Fable seemed to sense her sister's emotional struggles, and brought up a different subject. "Let me see your saberstaff," she said, outstretching her hand. Anna pushed herself up in her chair, and reached between herself and the armrests, where the weapon had fallen. She placed it in Fable's hand carefully. She didn't like anyone touching her prized weapon, even if she did trust them.

Fable weight the saberstaff in her palm, then spun it around in her hand a few times. She smiled and placed it back on the table.

"You have a fine weapon," she complimented. "It's one-of-a-kind, no doubt."

Anna smiled and took her weapon off of the table, placing it across her lap. "Thank you," she said. "I take great pride in it. Anyway, continue with your story."

Fable opened her mouth to speak, but turned quickly as she heard one of the ramps open. She stood up quickly, glancing down the hall, but relaxed when she saw a familiar dark-skinned man walk up.

"Did you get distracted?" she asked playfully.

"Had to avoid the Imperials, captain," he said. "Much easier said than done. They seemed to be everywhere I went."

"A common trait that they all have," she said, and turned to Anna. "This is Deke Holman, my co-pilot."

Anna stood up and turned to face the tall man.

"Deke, this is my sister, Anna," Fable said.

"You finally found her?" he said, more of a statement than a question. "I have to say, I was very surprised when Fable told me that she was related to another Jedi, and the most-wanted person in the galaxy."

"I live on the edge, that's for sure," Anna said. "I'm used to it. Nice to finally meet you. Fable has told me about the mission you were on several years ago."

Deke turned to his captain and gave her a small smirk. "I hope she didn't make me out to look too bad," he said, and Fable laughed.

"Never," she said.

Anna walked forward, past Fable and Deke, leaving them to get everything ready for the flight ahead. Surely, they wouldn't be staying on Coruscant, not with everything the way it was. It was far too dangerous to be on any planet that sympathized with the Empire. She was on a mission to go find Tyler, who wasn't physically distant from her, but mentally, he was lightyears away. She could understand that he was not thrilled with the way everything had transpired, but he could not afford to leave them now. He would have a bounty on his head just the same as she did, and she cow;don't but but feel guilty. He had not asked for any of this to happen, and now he was right in the middle of a conflict he did not care about. However, there was something else that was bothering him, something that ran much deeper than the secrets she had kept from him for months on end.

She found him in the engineering bay, lying down on one of the cots. He didn't even acknowledge her presence as she walked in.

"Come to ask me again if I need treatment for the stratch on my head?" he asked coldly.

"No," she said sternly. "I want to know what's gotten into you."

"Well, being lied to for six months, being beaten by an Imperial Major, nearly getting kidnapped and leaving my home behind, leaves a deep cut," he said, still not looking at her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You know that I was trying to keep you safe. I never expected Luke to come after me in the way he did. I thought that I would be safe on Naboo, and that you would be as well. I didn't want to drag you into this fight."

"But you did anyway," he said. Anna stepped back from him, slightly taken aback. "I don't want to be int this fight anymore. I want to return to Naboo and live just as I did before I ever met you. I was happy before then."

Anna turned her head away at the comment. Even though she had expected it, his words still stung.

"You cannot return to Naboo, it's not safe for you anymore," a female voice spoken up from the doorway. Fable was leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded over her chest. "The Empire has seen you with Anna, and now with me. They will come after you."

"I am nothing to them," Tyler snapped. "He is after you two, not me."

"Doesn't matter," Fable said. "Palpatine will have you killed, there's no question about it."

"I can take care of myself," he said bitterly. "I did for years before I met Anna. Now if you'll be so kind, I'd like to catch some sleep."

Fable sighed in defeat, and gestured for Anna to follow her. Anna turned to see that Tyler had turned on his side, his back to her. She gave him one last long look before she walked out of the engineering bay.

"What he said is not truly how he feels," Fable said. "There's something else to his attitude, and I saw it in that room. It's not just that you lied to him for months, he's already over that. He's jealous."

"Jealous?" Anna asked. "Of who? And why? I've been very clear that he's a strict friend of mine, nothing more."

"He doesn't see it in that way," Fable said as they walked back into the lounge. Deke was rusting around in the cargo hold, pushing crates of supplies through the small doors. The two sisters sat back down at the table in the lounge, and Anna rallied that she had left her saberstaff sitting on the chair. She snatched it quickly, laying it across her lap. She always felt vulnerable without it now.

"Who could he be jealous of?" she asked. "Luke? Adam?"

"Most likely Luke," Fable said. "I don't know much about what happened with you and Shay, Luke only said that you two had been familiar with each other during your smuggling days. The thing is, Tyler sees Luke as a threat to you as well, and doesn't see that he still has Light within him. Unfortunately, teaching the ways of the Force to those who do not understand the feelings of it is incredibly difficult. He wants to believe that he has a chance with you."

"He doesn't," Anna said firmly. "I've made it clear the entire time we've known each other, but I still care for him as a friend. If he leaves to go back to Naboo, he won't last a single day."

"That's true," Fable said. "There is also the fact that the Empire is stronger than I initially thought. Luke and Shay are not the only ones that have power, there are others."

"Who?" Anna asked, and she saw a flicker of pain cross her sister's face.

"I'll tell you later," Fable said quickly, snapping her eyes back up as if she had been caught in a painful memory. "However, I think you want to here the rest of my story, do you not?"

Anna nodded and Fable reclined in her seat, looking up at the ceiling of the ship, recalling her memories.

"Jaalib and I had to keep our relationship secret from Adalric," she began. "Much like you and to keep yours with Luke under wraps as much as you could. My training started to go better and better, and Adalric began to approve of me more, keeping the verbal attacks to a minimum. However, it wasn't long before Adalric found out and forbid Jaalib and I to see each other. I was furious with my mentor, but I had to remind myself that love was not something I had come to Trulalris to seek. I had wanted to better myself as a Jedi and a fighter. Still, it didn't make the pain any more bearable.

"However, I found that Adalric was still loyal to Palpatine, and that he had arranged for Vialco to come and duel me in a rematch. He wanted me to give into the Dark side, and use me as a gift in order to get back on Palpatine's good side. Jaalib had been sent off-world, so I had no help at all. My only joy on that planet was gone, and now I had to face the man that I hated with every fibre of my being.

"Vialco wanted to turn me as well, and we engaged in a duel. However, I was much improved and he was surprised, even angry at me. I told him that I would not turn, which he didn't take very well. He told me that I would die if I wouldn't turn, and used Force lighting on me. It hit me a few times before I was able to deflect it, but he did not stop trying to throw me off of my focus. That was when my training came into play, and for a moment, I was grateful for Adalric's training. However, that moment was short-lived. I turned the lightning back on Vialco, and I had my sights set on killing him and avenging my fallen comrade. Adalric told me to kill him, and I knew then that if I did, I would be lost to the Dark side. I told my mentor that it was over, and that there was no sense in killing. However, I heard a lightsaber igniting, and from there, instinct took over. I killed Vialco, and only after it was done did I realize that Adalric had created an illusion. I was beside myself with anger, and I'll never forget the words he said to me. 'I have set your place at the Emperor's table. Soon, I shall again stand at my master's side and you shall stand beside me. You knew there would be a price.'

"He was referring to my training. He wanted me to join him, and that he would give me his blessing on Jaalib and I. However, I would never stand beside someone who had used me an an object in order to revive his status to the Emperor. He destroyed my X-wing, and locked me in my quarters. I was desperate to escape, but there was nothing I could do. Vialco's shuttle had been destroyed as well, but I was unwilling to accept what had been laid out before me. I would never fight under Adalric.

"Just as all hope seemed to be lost for me, Jaalib returned. He had found out where his father had gone for those few days, and it was to make a deal with the Emperor. Jails said that he was getting me off of the planet. I was afraid for him, knowing that once Adalric found out about it, there would be a harsh punishment in store. We ran, and found Deke and the _Prodigal_ waiting for me. Adalric knew as soon as we reached the ship, and Jaalib told me to run. I told him to come with us, but he refused. I left, and the last glimpse I saw of the man I loved was him falling to his knees, being Force-choked by his own father. I have not seen either of them since."

Fable closed her eyes as the memory resurfaced. "That was five years ago," she said. "It still hurts me to this day."

Anna said nothing. For the first time, she felt as though someone understood pain in love just as well as she did. Losing Luke was not easy, and seeing him that day was equally as painful. However, there was hope in both sisters' stories, that the ones that they loved were still there.

"We'll find him," Anna said. "I will help you, I promise."

"And I will help you to free your own," Fable said. "But we cannot do it by ourselves."

"Who would help us?" Anna asked. "It's not like there are people that are willing to run headfirst in a mission to kill the Emperor."

"There are," Fable said. "Even if you are not affiliated with them anymore."

"The Alliance?" Anna asked, clearly skeptical. "Leia, maybe, but no one else would be willing to sacrifice themselves to save Luke. Only those that know the Force would know that he's still salvageable."

"There are others who believe he is worth taking a risk for," Fable said. "You would be surprised how much they still care about him and want him back. I still serve the Rebellion, even if you don't. They want you back more than you know."

The look on Anna's face clearly spoke that she didn't want to return. "I'd rather not risk scrutiny," she said. "Some still believe that I could've saved him from falling."

"True," Fable admitted. "However, they do not know the true story behind what happened on the Death Star that night. You do, I know he's told you."

"None of it would make sense to them," Anna said, defeated. "You can't just explain the ways of the Force to someone who doesn't understand its power."

Fable sighed,giving up. Anna's mind was made up, that was clear. She didn't want to face the Alliance, not yet.

"You and Tyler are more alike than you know," Fable said after a few moments of silence. "You're both afraid, but of the opposite things. You do not fear the Empire, but instead, you fear those who should be your friends and allies. He fears the Empire, and now us, even though we are the ones who would protect him."

"I'm more in touch with reality than he is," Anna said simply. "He doesn't know the power that the Empire has, and if it's stronger than we thought, as you have said, he is in grave danger."

"Tyler is stronger than you give him credit for," Fable said. "I can sense that he has a great spirit, and he had to in order to survive in the forests of Theed without getting found out."

Almost as if he knew, Tyler appeared in the doorway of the lounge once again.

"I will help you," he said quietly. "Only until the Empire is crashed and will not return. After that, I am returning to Naboo."

Fable stood from her seat and walked slowly over to him. He eyed her cautiously, still not trustworthy of anyone after what had happened to him.

"Thank you," she said. "You'll need some instruction first, before we embark in this mission. Not now, you still need to rest."

"What do I need practice for?" he asked. "I've survived by myself before."

"Everyone that you will encounter will be trained for years to kill," Fable said. "They are soldiers. You are someone who learned by necessity. However, don't worry about that now. You need to sleep."

Tyler watched Fable with an untrustworthy stare. For Anna, trusting Fable had been second nature to her, and she didn't even have to think about it. Tyler was much more cautious, and he had every right to be. He had been thrown into a conflict that he hadn't wanted.

"Fine then," he said. "I'll be in the engineering bay should you need me."

Fable nodded, and turned back to Anna. "We'll be getting out of here fairly soon," she said. "Every moment we stay here, we're making our escape harder. You should go rest as well, I'm sure that you need it."

Anna was reluctant to move, but she hadn't even realized how tired she was. The adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins for the past day had kept her up. She had never been one to sleep much, and during her time as a smuggler, her body had adapted to running on less and less. She could go for 36 hours, but whenever she pulled something like that, she was crashed for an entire day.

"I won't be much help to you tomorrow," she said. "You'll have to handle Tyler on your own, if he still has his attitude about him."

"I'm sure I can handle it," Fable said with a small smile. "I've been through worse, as I've told you."

Anna stood up, dropping her gaze to the floor. "Thank you for everything," she said. "Not just for today, but for answering a lot of questions I had."

"I tried my best," Fable said. "Hopefully I can answer more of them as time goes on, and I'll be able to find some things out about you, more than what the news outlets say about you at least."

"Most of them are wrong anyway," Anna said with a smile, turning the hilt of her saberstaff around her fingers. "Let Deke know that I'm going to be next to useless tomorrow, just so that it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone."

"I will," Fable said. "Go then. We'll be far away from Coruscant when you wake tomorrow."

"I trust you," Anna said, and with that, the younger girl walked down the main corridor, to her newly-proclaimed quarters in her newly-proclaimed home. She knew that she would sleep well for the hours she would spend asleep that night, with no need to worry about her safety. Her head was clear for the first time in six months.

* * *

 **With the shifting of plot points around, this is officially the end of Act I. We're about 1/3rd of the way through. Act I was 25K words, and I have Act II planned to be 35K, Act III to be 15K (not set in stone, but I needed goals in order to help with structuring everything).**  
 **We'll see Luke soon enough, and meet some of the other characters associated with the Dark side on the next chapter.**  
 **(sorry for the typos, Scrivener hates all of the Star Wars vocab and autocorrects it to something else.)**


	11. Chapter 11

Being on Coruscant meant that there was no need for a hologram to speak to the Emperor. Instead, he would be faced in person, in the Imperial palace. Two damaged shuttle flew into the docking bay of the palace, and were instantly surrounded by stormtroopers, all standing at attention.  
Shay emerged form his shuttle first, not looking back to see when Luke would emerge as well. The Major was fearful of what awaited them, as the Emperor would not be happy with the news that they had lost Anna for the second time in thirty-six hours. He tied to keep his face neutral as he walked from the docking bay, flanked by two stormtroopers.

Luke, however, was calm. He had a lot at stake, but he had been sure that all of his loose ends were tied and everything looked as though it wasn't set up. He walked with his head high, the stormtroopers that flanked him keeping their distance. He was still feared across the Empire, even if he was not nearly as cruel as his father had been. However, the Dark side was starting to sink its claws into him, and was refusing to let go. He was no longer flirting with it as he had before, and the Light in him was starting to fade. He didn't know how far gone he was until he had seen Anna. Her light was so bright it was almost blinding. He had felt repelled by it, and that was what made him realize that he had underestimated the power the Dark side. He had ignored Yoda's warning, and now he was here, walking to the audience chamber of the man he now called "Master".

He and Shay waited outside of the massive doors to the Emperor's audience chamber in complete silence. Luke dismissed the stormtroopers with a wave of his hand; they had no business in the chamber. The Royal Gaurds also stood outside, and turned as the doors to the chamber opened. They escorted the two high-ranking Imperials into the dark chamber, where the Emperor sat atop his throne. Luke could feel Shay's fear through the Force, and he rolled his eyes. It was annoying to constantly feel it through the Force, as it was not subtle. If Shay stopped, he would probably shake.

The two stood about fifty feet away from the Emperor, and both bowed their heads.

"The news you bring is not pleasant," the Emperor stated, and Luke winced as he stood up. If the ruler of the galaxy already knew that Anna had escaped once again, Luke as the easy scapegoat.

"There was another that stopped us…" Shay said, refusing to look up at the Emperor. He was instead looking at his hands, which Luke could see were shaking.

"Fable Astin," the Emperor said. "I know. She is the older sister of Anna Anara. What I do not understand, is how two Jedi could not be beaten by two of my best servants."

Luke gritted his teeth at the word, but kept his face level. "You said that you wanted Anna captured alive," he said. "I could not stop either of them by myself. Major was no help to me, he stayed cowered in his shuttle while the troops tried to subdue them and I looked for an opening. However, neither of them gave me one."

He felt Shay's hard glare on him, but didn't care. He spoke the truth. The Emperor leaned back in his throne.

"If Major Shay is of no use to you, then you will have someone else to help you in the field," the Emperor said.

Luke gave his master a confused look. "Who?" he asked.

The doors opened behind them, light flooding into the chamber, and Luke's heart dropped as he saw the figure walking toward them. It was a woman, the curves and thin frame made it clear. She had piercing green eyes, with an uneven scar that ran straight down her right eye. Her head wrapped in cloth so much so that it looked triangular, with a mask covering her nose and moth so that only her eyes were visible. Her armour was purple and black, and at her side was a coiled lightwhip. He knew exactly who this woman was.

"Long time no see, Skywalker," the figure said mockingly. "I never thought I'd live to see the day you and I would fight for the same side."

"You haven't changed one bit since I saw you last," Luke said, watching her as she stood beside him.

"You…" Shay said. "You're…"

"Lumiya, yes, Major," she said. "You can relax, Major, I will not hurt you. Not unless you do something foolish, but it seems as though you and I will not be crossing paths very often."

Shay turned away from her, unsure of where to stare. He focused on a spot on the floor, trying to avoid all of the pairs of eyes trained on him.  
Luke was visibly bothering by Lumiya's presence, and he clenched his gloves hands into fists at his sides. The last thing he wanted to do was to work with someone he had once trusted, but who had betrayed him.

"You will be accompanied by Lumiya on all future missions in the field," the Emperor said, his voice cutting through the silence in his chamber. "Since you are already familiar with her, you do not need an introduction. Your next mission involves all three of you. The Astin sisters are on the _Prodigal_ , along with the companion and the co-pilot. It is no use turning them to the Dark side, as they will not accept it, and I cannot force it. It is a shame to have two Force-sensitives of power go to waste, but such is life. If you have the chance, you will kill both of them. Go now, General Shay, Supreme Commander Skywalker, and Dark Lady of the Sith."

For a moment, Luke stood there, unable to move. Emotions rushed through him faster than he could comprehend. First was the thought of working with Lumiya, who had once been known as Shira Brie. He had loved that woman, and the old wound that had been slashed across his heart reopened as she stood next to him now. He remembered feeling incredibly betrayed in finding out that she was an Imperial Spy, and that he had allowed himself to get swept up in emotions that had clouded his judgement. Now, they both stood side by side, the Dark side flowing powerfully between the two of them.

Then was the matter of Anna. He knew that even if he had the chance, he was unsure if he would be able to kill the woman he loved. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of everything that was bombarding him all at once. When he reopened them, Shay and Lumiya were gone, and he stood alone in the Emperor's chamber.

"Your feelings are clouded, my apprentice," the Emperor said.

"I will not work with her," Luke said. "We have unpleasant history that I'd rather not relive."

"You do not have a choice," the Emperor said. "Just as you do not have a choice in killing the Astin sisters. I can sense that you are conflicted about this, and you need to out those feelings to rest."

"I can turn them," Luke said. "Anna will listen to me, Fable will as well, I know her from my time in the Rebellion. You said yourself that it is a shame for two powerful Force-sensitives to waste away fighting to the Light. I can reach both of them if you would allow me to."

"You are far too involved with the one you loved in order to do so clearly," the Emperor said. "I will not allow you to go to her without the Dark Lady. She will keep your feelings straight."

"No," Luke said. "I cannot work with her, she and I have feelings that will cloud each others."

The Emperor rose from his throne, and Luke eyed him cautiously.

"Remember the circumstance that left those marks on the side of your face," the Emperor said. "You will obey me, Skywalker, or you will live to watch her die in your arms. Go."

Luke knew then that the argument was over. He turned on his heel and formed out of the audience chamber, just wanting to go back to his shuttle and to his quarters on the command ship that flew just above Coruscant. He wanted to be alone with himself in order to come to terms with everything that had happened. He was exhausted, angry, and even fearful. The last bit of the argument had put him on edge, as he knew that the Emperor could be cruel, but he had never threatened Anna in a manner such as that. To have her die in his arms? He shook his head as the image made its way into his mind. His loyalty was obviously in question, as there was no other reason for a threat like that to be made.

Luke's strides now were not powerful and confident as they had been before, and he didn't hold himself up high. Instead, he was forward, his shoulders hunched and his steps sounded more like stops on the floor. His heavy black armour, something that had one been his father's, shone in the light of the palace. The docking bay was not far, which his was grateful for. He just wanted to be alone. Just as is had with Anna, exhaustion was starting to take over him. He wanted to collapse on his bed and push everything out of his mind. He would probably fall into an uneven doze, waking up every half hour or so. He could not shut his mind off when it raced as it did now. He was focused on the floor, and everyone around him moved back instinctively.

"Skywalker," a sharp voice cut through the air. He stopped dead in his tracks and jerked his head up to see Lumiya's tall figure standing not far from him. "You and I have unfinished business."

* * *

 **So yes, Lumiya. She's always been one of my favourite characters in the Expanded Universe.**

 **Shorter chapter than usual but I did write a lot yesterday so I kinda cheated today.**


	12. Chapter 12

Anna had no idea how long she slept for, but when she did wake, she could not recognize her surroundings. There was no scent of pine that the forests of Theed had, instead it was a metallic smell. Beneath her was a proper bed, at least, more than just sleeping on the ground with her cloak covering her. Then she remembered everything as she reached out to the Force, finding a form of Light resting not far from her. Her sister, Fable.

Slowly, Anna pushed herself up, her muscles instantly protesting at the movement. She stretched as well as she could, fighting through the throbbing soreness that came with activity. She pushed the thin blanket off of her body and stood slowly, testing her joints first to make sure that everything was still in working order. After all, living in the wilderness had done her body harm, some of which would last for life. She wanted to get herself looked at to make sure that she was still healthy enough to fight, but there was nowhere that could. She was still the most-wanted person in the galaxy, even if she had found her true blood.

She walked slowly over to where her cloak hung on the door, tossing it loosely around her shoulders. Her saberstaff was inside of the concealed pockets, and she instantly felt safer as it smacked lightly against her side. She opened the door to her quarters and looked both ways down the corridor, seeing no one. Slowly, and in some pain, she made her way across the corridor to the refresher.

Anna's pain come from her right leg. Her knee was almost close to being completely shot. It had been during her time in the forest, and she hadn't been watching where she was going. A branch had whacked her hard just under her kneecap and had left her unable to move without crippling pain for nearly a week. During that time, Tyler had to assume the role of the thief of the Theed marketplace, during which he nearly got caught twice, but it wasn't worth dwelling on. She had been able to walk afterwards, slowly regaining her mobility, however, she had never been back to 100%. She didn't walk as fluently as she used to, as she favourited her right side slightly. However, she had no other way to heal.

She looked at herself in the small mirror that hung above the sink unit, running her hand slightly through her hair. It was a Force illusion that had made her look like her alternate identity, and she looked just like her old self in the mirror; long, wavy brown hair, that was incredibly unkempt. She had only projected it into the mind of Tyler, as the hood of her cloak had been deep enough that she could tuck it back and not have anyone see her. Fable could see her as she was meant to be seen, as Force illusions had no effect on her. Being a Force user nullified the illusion. Deke would never know her as Myra Thorne, so she let him see Anna Anara, most-wanted. She decided that a shower was long overdue, so she hung her cloak outside of the refresher and shut it.

After she was clean of all of the dirt and grime that had built up over months, she was starting to look like herself again. She fought with her hair for what seemed like hours, eventually giving up and letting it fall slightly messy, down her back. As she looked over her body, only then did she realize that the relatively short amount of time she had spent in the wilderness had affected her.

She had only had one major scar on her body before, and that was on her wrist. Now, there were others. Thin scars that resembled lightning bolts had formed across her stomach. They weren't that noticeable, but now that she had seen them, they stuck out on her tanned skin. There were other small marks, but none of them were worth paying attention to. The one that she had noticed was a fine line down her left cheek that stretched from the corner of her eyes all the way down to her jawline. It was hidden she she pulled her hair forward, but it was visible enough to make her wonder what exactly had happened for her to get that scar. She didn't remember anything happening to her when she was out in the forest with Tyler. She had always been careful not to break the illusion. Then she remembered back to the night on the Death Star, when she had been engaged in the duel with Luke. She remembered her muscles giving out on her and a flash of pain right before she had hit the ground. She had not noticed it that night, but she had been in shock and had not been able to see her face. She had not felt any pain or any hint as to a wound along the side of her head. She had not felt it afterwards either, but it was not a deep cut, just enough that if it were to go untreated, it would leave a mark. She trailed her fingertips down the thin line, letting her hand drop as she reached the end. It didn't seem to matter now, and pulled a lock of her dark hair forward to cover it. She did not want the questions that would come with it if someone were to notice it.

Anna walked out the refresher and turned to see Fable and Deke sitting at the table in the lounge. Both had their backs to her and didn't acknowledge her, but she didn't seem to mind. After all, she was still a guest here, even though it felt like a long-lost home. She slung her cloak over her shoulders and drew it around her body, then put the hood up. It felt to not cover her face especially after she had done so for so long. She walked over to the lounge, and instantly drew the attention of her sister.

"How did you sleep?" Fable asked, her voice quiet.

"The best in months," Anna said. "How long did I sleep for?"

"About sixteen hours," Fable said. "You must be starving."

Anna nodded, the pang of hunger returning to her at the mention of food. Fable stood from her seat and walked to a door that led to a small room, which Anna assumed was the loading room. Her sister disappeared, leaving only two people in the lounge.

"It's truly an honour to be in the presence of someone so well-known," a deep voice said, and Anna turned suddenly, her eyes settling on the dark-skinned human that watched her.

"Thank you," she said. "But I'm sure there are many others that deserve the thanks more than I do."

"Are you kidding me?" Deke asked. "You're a legend. Were you really involved in the rescue mission to retrieve Han Solo?"

Anna smiled, thankful that he hadn't asked about one of her more painful missions. "Yes," she said. "That one was…interesting, to say the least."

"I bet," Deke said. "You had to go face-to-face with Jabba the Hutt."

"He isn't all that scary," Anna said. "Even when we were on the barrages, I wasn't too fussed about it all. Han was unnerving me more than anything else."

Fable walked out from the small room with a container in her hand. "It's not much," she said. "Just because the Empire has been all but destroyed doesn't mean that there are tons of supplies floating around for us."

"This is fine," Anna said, walking over to the one empty chair next to Fable. "Has Tyler shown his face yet?"

"Yes," Fable said. "Doesn't talk at all though. He stays in the engineering bay for the most part. I have a feeling he's still coming to terms with everything."

Anna nodded as she opened the container, revealing the dried portions that she had not missed in the slightest. There was always fresh for in the Theed marketplace, but she could only ever get away with a small bit of it. Still, she wasn't going to complain about it; she was starving.

"He'll come around eventually," Anna said. "Anyway, where are we?"

Fable shifted in her chair. "We're in the Outer Rim territories," she said. "Going to Arbra."

Anna paused. She knew the name of that planet. "Haven Base?" she asked, not daring to look over at Fable.

"Yes," Fable said quietly.

"I thought it was abandoned?" Anna asked, her muscles relaxing after the initial shock.

"That was the plan," Fable said. "However, after Endor, there was still the threat of the Empire returning, especially since Palpatine continued to breathe. We returned to Haven Base, since it was the easiest, and no one else knew of it. Endor was going to be out main base, but the Imperials knew of it, and they could very easily come back to it. Arbor is fairly secluded, and hardly anyone knows about it."

Anna nodded, but stayed silent as she prepared her food.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't want to return yet," Fable said. "But they need to know that you're alive, and they can help you with an assault on the Empire."

Anna didn't know what to feel. Surely, betrayal was not the right emotion, but she did feel a bit hurt especially since she had been very clear. She was not ready to return to the Alliance, and she would've hoped that Fable would understand. At the same time, the two barely knew each other, and it was foolish to think that just because they shared blood meant that they could put all of their trust in one another.

"At least let me have some time first," Anna said. "I need to figure out how to explain to them how Luke is still alive."

Fable nodded to her. "I can help you with that," she said. "But first, get yourself ready. I have a feeling that a lot of people will be waiting for us when we land."

"What about the other one?" Deke asked, finally speaking up. "Are we even sure he's not going to run straight to the Empire?"

"Tyler will stay with me," Anna said. "As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he still trusts me a great deal. I brought food for him for months, risking my identity over and over again. I'm sure he'll be somewhat willing to see this through."

Deke rolled his eyes and looked over at Fable. "What do you think, captain?" he asked.

"I'm sure my sister speaks the truth," Fable said simply. "From what you gathered on him, Tyler is not an Imperial sympathizer, is he?"

Deke shook his head, and Anna looked over at him, intrigued. "I thought the database showed nothing on him," she said.

"Only if you do a very basic search," Deke explained. "I went deeper into the archives and found him. He did a great job of hiding himself, but since he was seen out in public on Coruscant, there is proof now that he exists."

Anna didn't know much about Tyler's past. He had always kept it secret from her, and she had never pressed him. It was a mutual understanding, of sorts. "So what did you find?" she asked.

"Born and raised on Naboo," he said. "Comes from a privileged family, one that was held in high regard with the Royal family there. He was always interested in technological advances, systems, that sort of thing. He went to Theed University to study it, but he seemed to drop off the face of the planet halfway through his final year. No one saw him for three years, until he showed up in Monument Plaza, breaking a bottle over the head of newly-proclaimed General Adam Shay."

Anna glanced up at Deke. "General now?" It was not a question, it was a statement.

"Apparently," Deke said. "Skywalker was given a title too, Supreme Commander."

"I'm sure he'll love that," Anna said sarcastically as she began to eat.

Fable let her hands fall on the table and sighed. "I guess I should let you know what the deal is when we get to Haven Base," she said, and Anna glanced up.

"I guess so," she responded, her voice unchanging.

"When we get there, there will be a stage of sorts set up for you," Fable explained. There, you will talk about everything you know, the story behind what happened that night, and what Luke's plans are. There will only be a few in the staging area, mostly the high-ranking individuals, but all of the Alliance will be watching the broadcast. All you have to do is make sure you get your point across quickly and effectively."

"Way easier said than done," Anna stated. She was still not thrilled with the idea of walking up in front of people who had been searching for her for months.

"You'll do fine," Fable said, and glanced up when she heard a beeping noise coming from the cockpit. "Sounds like we've entered the Arbran system. Finish your breakfast and let Tyler know what's going to happen."

Anna nodded, not saying a word. Tyler would not be happy with being ordered around, but he would have to open up to the Alliance. He had come time to calm down now and think about his actions, even though they were justified. Hopefully he was able to come to terms with being involved in the war now, but it was a reach. He had never wanted to have his name known, and after when Deke had told her, it was starting to make a little bit of sense to her.

She finished her breakfast and walked back into the engineering bay, where Tyler sat on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, fingers laced behind his head. "We're about five minutes out from landing," she said to him. He didn't look over at her, but she didn't care.

"I know," Tyler said. "I've been keeping my eyes on everything while you were asleep. I'm just trying to figure out how this is all going to play out for me."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked. He sat up and looked her straight in the eye as he stood up.

"We're more alike than you know," he said, and brushed by her. "I'll be ready for when we land."

* * *

Haven Base was exactly how she remembered it. It was a large cave, covered by dense forests, with Rebel fighters standing outside, their blasters drawn. Anna stepped down from the ramp, taking the scenery in. Arbra was a beautiful planet, and it reminded her somewhat of Endor with all of the forests and underbrush. It was a great choice to have operations, especially since hardly anyone knew of the planet's existence.

"We are going to the Great Hall," Fable said as she walked down the ramp at Anna's side. The younger girl nodded, not needing directions. She still had the base mapped out in her head. Behind them, Deke and Tyler followed, her companion moving slower than usual, taking everything in.  
Anna, meanwhile, walked with a slight limp in her step, but managed to keep pace with Fable. Her knee didn't hurt as much as it used to, but it would probably leave her permanently damaged. She had still had feeling her leg, which was a good thing, but her mobility suffered greatly because of the untreated injury. Fable seemed to notice the way her sister walked, and slowed down slightly to accommodate her.

"Once this is done, I can take you to the medical bay in order to get that looked at," Fable said, glancing down at Anna's knee.

"Thank you," Anna said. "However, I think it's almost past saving."

"We can always try," Fable responded, and Anna smiled. Being strong-willed and stubborn must run in their family.

The Great Hall was large enough to house thousands, and Anna's breath caught in her throat when she saw no less than that. The entire Alliance must be standing in this very space, and as she walked toward the stage, she could feel thousands of pair of eyes on her. The hollowed cave would carry her voice well enough so that everyone could hear, and she scanned the crowd, trying to find familiar faces. Her heart thudded in her chest as she walked stiffly to the podium, her fingers gripping the edges. She closed her eyes and let out a quiet breath before she raised her chin confidently. The Hall fell silent.

"Thank you all for accommodating me on such short notice," she began. "I'll get right to the part that you all want to hear, what happened that night on the Death Star? Why is Luke Skywalker serving them? Why did I run? I can see all of those questions in your eyes, and I plan to answer them to the best of my abilities. Some, you won't fully understand, and that's fine.

"The night on the Death Star was one to forget. Luke and I were brought before the Emperor, with the intentions to turn us to the Dark side. He failed to realize that we would rather die before we would serve him, and that's exactly what I thought had happened. The Emperor used a very specific Force attack, known as Force Lightning, to torture Luke. There was a moment in time when I thought he was dead. I saw his body lying there, motionless, and I could feel nothing coming from him. No breath, no pulse, nothing. That's why, when I returned to Endor, I left right afterwards. I felt as though I would be shunned for not being able to save him. You must realize that the Emperor's powers with the Force are unparalleled to anyone. We underestimated him.

"Four beings made it off of the Death Star that night; the Emperor, Luke, Major Adam Shay, and Darth Vader. Luke awoke on the Emperor's shuttle, and was explained to that he had been held in a Force-stasis. His power was too great for the Emperor to waste. Luke did not want anything to do with the Dark side, but the Emperor threatened us. All of us. He threatened my life, and every single one of yours. He would kill us all without a second thought. That was enough to force Luke to stay on the Dark side, but there was something else. Luke's life-force was coming from the Dark side, it is how he continues to breathe, even now. If he kills the Emperor himself, both of them will die from it. Someone else must kill the Emperor, and sacrifice their own life in order for Luke to return to us. It is a tall order, one that I did not even understand until yesterday. However, Luke can return to us, and believe me, he wants to. There is nothing he would like more than to return to the Alliance and to destroy the Empire. He needs our help in order for that to happen.

"Onto the last point; why did I run? Surely, I could have come back and focused on how to get I'm out from under the Emperor's grasp, but I didn't. I went to Naboo, and I hid. Why? There are a couple of reasons. The first one, I have already spoken of. I was afraid of being shunned by the Alliance for not being able to save him. I didn't even know he was alive until a month later, when I was in the forests of Theed, surviving with someone I met and whom I trust. Second; I was afraid. Once I found out that he was still alive, I wondered if he would reach out to me through the Force and find me. If I had stayed here, I would have led the remains of the Empire right into our base, and I was not going to let that happen. So, I stayed in the forests of Naboo, forced out only a few days ago, when he landed there, and I had to escape.

"Finally, the last thing I want to say is, thank you. I know that if we all come together, we can figure out a way to get Luke out of there, and bring him back to where he belongs. Fighting for the Light side of the Force, crumbling the last of the Empire, and beginning a new era of peace. He needs to come home, to all of us."

Anna stopped there, and closed her eyes, revelling in the moment. The entire hall was silent, not even a single whisper travelled through the air. She slowly opened her eyes, and she gave everyone standing before her a small smile, then stepped away from the podium. She had nothing more to say.

Cheers and applause suddenly filled the room, making her jump. She raised her arms as the praise showered over her, and she knew instantly that she was home. These people had never stopped caring about her, and they would never shun her. She scanned over the crowd, and her eyes fell upon two figures that she recognized instantly. Leia, the former princess of Alderaan, and Han Solo, the smuggler. They were both looking up at her with pride, applauding her as she stepped down from the stage, her leg still a little bit wobbly. Instantly, Fable was at her side.

"Let's get you to the medical bay before things get too crazy," she said, and Anna threw one arm around her sister, leaning for support. As they walked away from the stage, the cheers began to fade away, but it warmed her heart nonetheless.

"Went better than expected, hey?" Fable asked.

"No kidding," Anna said. "I had no idea how they were going to react. After all, not everyone can understand the way of the Force, and it's incredibly difficult to explain."

"You did wonderfully," Fable said, her voice proud as they moved carefully through the carved stone halls. "The medical bay is not far from here. Are you feeling all right?"

"Good enough to get there," Anna said. "I think that I might have aggravated it when we were on Coruscant. All of that movement down from the hangar must've been hard."

"Well, hopefully we can do something about it," Fable said. "Then, I'll show you to your old quarters."

"They're still there?" Anna asked.

"So are Luke's," Fable said. "There's no way that we could fill them, it was too painful. But now, you're here, and you've brought us hope that everything could return to the way it was."

"That's a bit of a stretch," Anna said. "I just hope that by the time we get a plan together, Luke isn't completely gone. The Dark side is powerful, and even if you flirt with it, it can be incredibly difficult to climb back out."

Fable nodded. "I know that all too well," she said.

"Where's Tyler?" Anna asked, scanning the vacant halls.

"He was there," Fable said. "Deke was introducing him to the higher-ups, making sure that he can be trusted. I'm sure that he'll be fine. There's nothing on his record to suggest otherwise."

"I hope so," Anna said. "I have a feeling that we'll need him."

Even if the Alliance didn't need him, the younger girl thought of him as a dear friend. He had survived with her on Naboo for six months, and even if he was bitter about the lies she had told him, the two of them had still kept each other alive during a time when survival was difficult. Now, they would finally feel protected from whatever demons their pasts had lurking beneath.

Anna knew that they were home.

* * *

 **After writing out all of my information on Anna, I decided that she really needs something to take her down a peg in order to not make her a Mary Sue character. Now she has knee pain like me mwahaha suffer.**

 **The bit that Wookieepedia had on Force illusions was really boring but I hope that it makes sense. I'm really regretting not researching everything before starting to write, but that's what revision is for.**

 **Sorry for missing two days, during my writing time I ended up completely cheating and having a few martinis after work. Then yesterday was the ballad of the hangover day so I got behind by about 5k words. I still have just under 3k left to write today, then I'll be all caught up. I have no idea if I'll have any time to update tomorrow since I have a birthday celebration to go to, but there will be a chapter ready to go.**

 **Thank you all for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

_"Skywalker. You and I have unfinished business."_

Luke turned slowly to the familiar figure inn the triangular headdress that he had come to despise. She stood tall about 100 feet from him, er armour shining in the dim light and her eyes focused entirely on him. He looked at her hand that rested dangerously close to her lightwhip.

The hall cleared around them, no one wanting to get caught in the crossfire that would evidently take place.

"There is nothing," Luke spat. "There never will be, ever again. It was a moment of weakness, and was by your own doing."

Lumiya stepped closer to him, but he did not falter. He could see one of the many scars on her face, the one down her eye. Her skin along her cheekbones was singed as well, from his lightsaber.

"You didn't even know who I was when you shot me down," Lumiya said, her voice taunting. "You thought that I truly cared for you, and you thought that I was loyal to the Alliance. You were hurt when you saw that you had shot down my ship. If it wasn't for your father, maybe I would be dead."

That got Luke's attention. There were very few people who knew of Luke's parentage, and his eyes narrowed and Lumiya as she paced in front of him. Even though her face was covered he could tell that she was greatly amused by his anger. His hand flew to his lightsaber, but he paused. There was still a fraction of Light left in him that was barring him from engaging Lumiya right then.

"You're still weak," she growled at him, brushing by him without a second thought. With that, she disappeared, and he remained frozen on the spot. He closed his eyes, knowing that he was starting to lose his grip on the Light, and with every day that passed, he was falling further and further into a hole he may not be able to get out of. He looked up at the ceiling of the hall, hoping that Fable had been able to carry Anna safely away from Coruscant. He no longer felt either of them on the planet,and hoped that wherever they were, his true situation was being spoken of. However, he was becoming increasingly unbelieving of himself. He could not fight of the Dark side, and if they did not hurry, he might be completely gone. It was like poison, and he could not break out of the cycle that continued to engrain the Dark side deeper into him. There was only one person he could reconcile with at a time like this, and even though he was in critical condition, he was still of use. Luke straightened up, realizing that there were eyes on him, and he cast deal looks over all of the officers that had dared to stop. They scampered away quickly, and he too walked off, heading directly to the medical bay, where his father lay.

* * *

Anna winced and ground her teeth as the medical droid fussed over her knee. Her fingernails were digging into the seat beneath her, and the tests that had been done had been more of an annoyance than anything else. She still had no information to go on, if she would ever move gracefully again, or if she would be forced to accommodate her lack of movement. She wanted nothing more than to fight for the Alliance and bring Luke back, but if she couldn't move without pain, that was a dream that could not materialize, and it hurt her.

The droid wrapped her knee tightly, acting as a brace. She watched as it moved to her side, hoping for some good news.

"The cartilage under your kneecap has been damaged," it said. "In addition, there are several hairline fractures on your kneecap that did not heal properly, and surgery will be required to correct it."

"What's the downtime?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"Two weeks," the droid said, and she collapsed back against the chair. The last thing she needed was to be sidelined for weeks. Luke could have completely fallen in that time. He was losing his grip faster than he knew, as she had felt the Light receding in him with every passing moment.

"Is there any other option?" she asked.

"You've left it for far too long," the droid responded. "You could risk collapsing in the battlefield, and losing the leg from the knee down if you don't get it done quickly."

Anna sighed. "Fine," she said. "Just let me go talk to my sister, and I can let you know what my choice is."

"Whatever works for you," the droid said, and hurried away from her side. She threw her legs over the side of the chair and stood slowly. She hated feeling injured and beaten, and the last thing she wanted was to be away when the mission would take place. She wanted to be there to bring Luke home, not stuck in the medical bay, recovering from a meaningless injury.

She walked outside of the medical bay, where Fable sat waiting, her shoulder-length auburn hair falling in front of her face as she scanned a datapad. She looked up as Anna walked carefully over.

"How did it go?" Fable asked, switching the datapad off.

"Not good," Anna said. "I have bad cartilage under the kneecap, and several hairline fractures that didn't heal properly. I basically have to get surgery, and it has a downtime of two weeks."

Fable could sense the disappointment in her sister's voice. "You know, this mission will take a lot longer than two weeks to come up with," Fable said.

"Luke might not have two weeks," Anna said. "He could be completely lost by then."

"He's strong," Fable said. "I've had brushes with the Dark side before, and the fact that he's kept his Light in him for as long as he has is no easy feat. You have faith in him, don't you?"

"Of course," Anna said. "The thing is, I know that I'm losing him. I can barely recognize him anymore, and it's killing me to see him to consumed."

Fable nodded. "I know," she said. "Anyway, while you were in there, I was assigned a mission, and I was told to bring you and Deke with me. Mon Mothma wants to know that your allegiance is pure, and that you won't go running off again."

"Of course she thinks so," Anna said with a roll of her eyes. "What about Tyler?"

"He's going to stay here," Fable said. "He'll be going through the basics of training, since the kid looks like he's never held a blaster in his life."

"Probably hasn't," Anna agreed, shifting her weight onto her good leg. "What's this mission about?"

Fable glanced down the halls of Haven Base, and motioned for Anna to follow her. They walked at a slower pace to accommodate Anna's reduced mobility, but it didn't seem to impair anything else. In fact, she seemed to have even more of a strong will, if that was even possible.

"There is an outside organization, separate from the Empire, has hostages of the Rebellion," Fable said as they walked toward the living area of the base. "The three of us are to go to them, and get them back."

"Seems simple enough," Anna said.

"Sure," Fable said. "Except for one thing; Jaalib is the Lord of this organization."

"I thought you said he was dead?" Anna asked, turning to Fable as she stopped just outside of an unmarked door. She pulled out a key card, and swiped it in front of the sensor.

"I never did," Fable said. "I saw him getting Force-choked by his father, and that I hadn't seen him in five years. Whether or not he was dead, I had no idea. Now, I know that he is alive, and apparently, he's doing quite well for himself."

She pushed the door open, revealing the standard quarters that the Rebels were given. Fable's rank of Captain offered more of a luxurious room, but it was still fairly bare. There was no time to personalize anything.

"When are you planning on going?" Anna asked, sitting herself down on one of the chairs in the small living space.

"Tomorrow," Fable said. "Short notice, I know, but—"

"No, it's fine," Anna said. "I think I need to get out of here anyway. Do I need to adopt my alter ego?"

"If it makes you feel better, sure," Fable said. "Some of these people are defected Imperials, but I'd be very careful. The galaxy knows that you're still alive, but they know that you're still hiding as well. In the end, it's up to you."

"I'll figure it out tonight," Anna said. "I think that I just need tonight to rest again, and to stay off of this leg."

"I'll go through the mission plan with you, if you want me to," Fable said, sitting across from her sister and placing the datapad down on the table.

"Sure, but first, can we get some food?" Anna asked. "I haven't had anything since breakfast, and it must be evening now. I was in that medical bay for a while."

Fable nodded. "It's about seventeen-hundred right now," she said. The standard time was something that Anna was not used to, as spending months away from civilization meant that she had to guess the time of day. Arbra had a shorter rotation period than Naboo, but after her long rest on the _Prodigal_ , her internal clock had been completely reset.

"Are the higher-ups taking my mission request into consideration?" Anna asked.

"Yes," Fable said, standing up to grab her com link. "Leia is very much into getting Luke back, and she's pushing hard to get a mission ready. I told them that it needs to be fast, as the Dark side can consume even the most powerful, Light Jedi. Of course, they don't understand it as well as you and I do, but I tried my best to get my point across."

Fable spoke into the com, and Anna switched the datapad on. The mission outline was displayed across the screen, and she began to slowly scroll through it. However, there was one point that stuck out to her the most.

"Is Jaalib schooled in the ways of the Sith?" she asked, looking up at her sister as the red-haired girl reassumed her original position.

"I don't know," Fable said, and it was the truth. "He's Force-sensitive, I know that for sure. I'm fairly certain that he's not, but Adalric, his father, betrayed me once before, and it wouldn't surprise me if Palpatine has turned Jaalib. Even though this organization is not affiliated with the Empire, they are fighting against the Alliance. They have Imperial ships, and defected troops. It wouldn't surprise me if the Dark side is involved."

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Anna asked, switching the conversation.

"We leave here at oh-five-hundred," Fable said. "Deke and I will get the Prodigal ready to fly, all you have to do is make sure you're on the ship when we leave. We're going to the Redcap system, that's where the Star Destroyers commanded by the Protectorate are located."

"The Protectorate is the organization that has the hostages?" Anna asked.

"Correct," Fable confirmed with a nod of her head. "From there, we are to negotiate. Our main objective is to get those hostages back, nothing more."

"Seems simple enough," Anna said.

"If I know Jaalib, there will be other things involved," Fable said, and let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know what's happened to him these past several years, but if he's intercepting hostages, there's some other motive behind it. These people have been held by Imperials for six months, ever since Luke fell. There is definitely something sinister behind this, and I don't know why."

Anna reclined in her seat, staring up at the ceiling. Fable was much more invested in this mission than her sister. However, Jaalib was the one that Fable loved, and they hadn't seen each other in years as opposed to a mere six months apart.

"One other thing," Fable said, cutting through the very silence. "Bring your saberstaff. I have no idea if this will turn bad, and if it does, we have to be prepared."

"You think he's going to turn on us?" Anna asked.

"I don't think anything of him right now," Fable responded. "I just need to know that you trust me."

"Of course," Anna said.

"Good," Fable said with a nod. "I'm sure that you're well-practiced."

"Not really," Anna said. "I never showed Tyler the weapon, and I never ignited it at all. In fact, when you brought the shuttle down, that was the first time I had fought in six months."

"You had wondeful form for not fighting for that long, then," Fable said. "You didn't look like you were out of practice at all."

"Most of it is muscle memory," Anna said. "I have to adjust my strategy now, because of this." She pointed to her wrapped knee. It didn't hurt her, as she had been given painkillers to help deal with the soreness, but she still could not walk properly with it.

"Once we get back, you can get that looked after," Fable said. "I'd really like for you to stay here and rest a bit more, but Mon Mothma wants to make sure that your allegiance is true."

"Mmm," Anna said. "Is Leia around? I'd like to speak with her."

"So soon?" Fable asked.

"I think the time has come for the two of us to speak one-on-one about the events on the Death Star," Anna said.

Fable gripped her comlink, turning it over in her hand. "Alright," she said. "I'll see if she's available."

"Thank you," Anna said, and once again, returned to her reclined position. When she had seen Luke's twin sister in the crowd, there had been something different. However, it was impossible for Anna to place exactly what it was. It had been a wave of emotions all at once, and it was entirely possible that she adjust misread something about the former princess.

Fable returned to the small living space, and settled back down in her seat while picking up the datapad. "She's on her way," Fable said. "Do you want me to give you two some privacy?"

"Please," Anna said. "Thank you."

Fable nodded, and disappeared with the datapad tucked under her arm, into a small corridor that led to the bedroom and the refresher. Anna stayed seated, revelling in the silence. Surely, out of all the people that would understand why Luke had decided to remain under the Emperor's control, Leia would.

The silence was short-lived, and a soft knock not he door jolted Anna forward. She stood up slowly, wincing as she felt the dull ache of her knee as she flexed it. Slowly, she walked to the white door, not even bothering to check who it was. She pulled the door back, and it swung open to reveal the former princess of Alderaan. She couldn't help but smile.

"You're looking well, Anna," Leia said quietly as the younger girl moved aside. Leia walked in slowly, and Anna saw exactly what had been different. One of Leia's hands rested protectively on top of the small curve on her belly.

"How far along?" Anna asked.

"Four months," Leia responded.

"Congratulations," Anna said as she shut the door. "Go, sit, I'm fine."

"I saw you walk," Leia said, obviously concerned. "You are not fine."

"I'm getting better," Anna said as she slowly walked back to the living space. Leia settled herself down on the couch and watched as Anna did the same.

"What did you need to speak to me about?" Leia asked.

"A lot of things," Anna said. "The first one being, did my speech make sense?"

"For the most part," Leia said with a nod. "Some people were a little bit confused by it, but I think everyone knows now that there was nothing you could do to stop what happened to him. Now, I really want to help you get him out of there, I want to as well, but drafting a plan is going to take much longer than you want to hear. It took us months to come up with one to save Han."

"Luke doesn't have months," Anna responded, leaning back in her chair. "He may only have weeks. He's losing his grip on the Light, and the Dark is going to fully consume him if the Emperor is not killed."

"You say that his life-force depends on the Emperor," Leia said, and Anna nodded.

"That's what he told me," the younger girl said. "If he kills the Emperor, he'll die as well. He needs someone to make the ultimate sacrifice. Someone who is of the Light side of the Force."

Leia dropped her gaze and ran her hand over her swollen belly, lost in thought. "It seems there is no Light left in the galaxy," she said. "We're going to be very hard-pressed to find someone willing to make that sacrifice."

"I know," Anna said, and suddenly, Leia bolted forward.

"You have an idea, don't you?" Anna asked.

"I do," Leia said. "I need to run it by the leaders first, and clear it. Then, we put it all into motion."

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"Once I get it approved, I will assemble a team," Leia said. "Then, I will tell you. I promise you, we're going to get him back."

Anna nodded. "I have full faith in you," she said.

Leia stood up from her seat and began to walk toward the door. "After your mission, I'll let you know what happened," Leia said. "I hope that it will be good."

* * *

 **I decided to include the plot of "Emanations of Darkness" in this story, simply because I want to stretch this timeline out and develop the two Astin sister's together at the same time. Prepare for a monster of a chapter coming up (the actual timeline was supposed to be seven years, but I changed it to five years of the sake of incorporating it into this story.)**

 **also i am totally behind for Camp now aaa. My muse for this story has completely evaded me for the past few days.**


	14. Chapter 14

**CarminaxBuranax: We will find out very soon! I'm sure you will like the ending ;)**

 **Warning: giant chapter ahead.**

* * *

Her knee screamed at her as she walked slowly to the docking bay, where Fable stood, leaning against the supports that would bring the ramp back up. She watched with concern as her sister walked awkwardly over to the ship. Surely, she was in no shape to be going out so soon, but Mon Mothma had been explicit with her orders. Anna was to go with them on a mission that hardly even mattered, and even though Fable and tried to fight it, she had come up with nothing. If limited mobility was not enough to sway Mon Mothma, nothing would.

"Feeling all right?" Fable asked as Anna climbed up the ramp.

"About as good as I can," Anna responded. She was dressed in her usual cream-coloured cloak, which she was holding in bother of her hands, drawn around her, the hood up. Beneath it, she wore standard dark grey, but not her usual black. Her injured knee was held again, this time in a proper brace and look as though she had very limited movement. Her leg hardly bent, but she seemed to move fairly easily. All Fable cold hope for was that this mission was quick and easy, with no complications.

The two Astin sisters reached the cockpit, and Fable seated herself in the pilot's seat. Deke was already settled in the co-pilot's spot.

"She's awake?" Fable asked.

"Yeah," Deke said. "She's ready to go."

Anna settled into the seat behind Fable, relieved to have the weight off of her leg. Even though the painkillers helped, it was still futile to try to move. She couldn't walk without a reminder about her injury, and it made her angry more than anything. She wanted to be a part of the Alliance and in getting Luke out of the clutches of the Emperor, but if she couldn't walk, it was impossible.

"How are you feeling today, Miss Anara?" Deke asked from the co-pilot's seat.

"Ready," she said. It was all she could say. Deke didn't seem to have the understanding of the Force that some of the others in the Alliance had. "And, don't worry about formalities with me. Just call me Anna. Anna Anara-Astin."

"Double barrelled," Deke said with a nod of his head. "Couldn't let the other name go?"

"It's still part of who I am," Anna said simply. "Anyway, let's get this thing going, shall we?"

Fable smiled from the pilot's seat, and the Prodigal roared to life as she gripped the controls. "You know the plan?" she asked.

"Sweet-talk Jaalib until he gives us the hostages," Anna said. "Got it."

"Hard to imagine you've been away from the Alliance for so long," Fable said as the ship lifted off. "Let me do most of the talking. He knows me."

"I'm sure that's going to play a huge role," Anna said sarcastically, pushing her hood off of her head, letting her long, unkempt hair fall in front of her face. "If he's consumed by the Dark side, formalities won't matter."

Fable winced. She had last seen Jaalib as a carefree, seventeen year-old actor who was struggling with his performance. Now, he could be completely gone, and it hurt her to think that he had fallen so far in that seemingly short amount of time.

The ship lurched into hyperspace, and Anna forced herself to take a deep breath. The last mission she had been on had not ended well, but she had to force all of the negative thoughts tot he back of her mind. Surely, this was just a routine visit, something to prove her allegiance and loyalty to the Alliance.

 _Because I sure wasn't you're number one fighter when I was here_ , Anna thought, and if she could, she would've directed to Mon Mothma. She had never been impressed with the older woman, something had just rubbed the younger girl the wrong way when she had first met the Chief in Staff of the Alliance.

"So, what did you do before you joined the Alliance, Anna?" Deke cut through the silence seamlessly.

"Surely you've heard the stories," she responded, only half engaged in the conversation.

"I want to hear it form you," Deke said, and Anna sighed.

"I was a smuggler, for the most part," she said. "Travelling the Outer Rim territories didn't do much to pay for my ship, my food, that sort of thing."

"Smuggled for the Empire?" Deke asked.

"Only one," Anna said. "I smuggled for the newly-proclaimed General. He paid me the best."

She was not about to go into her history with Shay, not now. She shifted in her seat and winced as he knee gave to a little shout in protest. She had not changed her appearance, but it didn't seem to matter. Everyone knew now that she was alive.

The ship slowed out of hyperspace to reveal a large Star Destroyer flying above a red-orange surfaced planet. Anna leaned forward in her seat, taking in the Redcap system, for she had never been near it before. She could feel a dark presence as they approached, and gave worrying look at Fable, who seemed to have sensed it as well. Anna could feel that her sister was unnerved by it, and hoped that everything would work out fine.

The Prodigal landed within the docking bay of the Star Destroyer, and Anna slowly stood, along with Fable and Deke. She walked slowly to the exit ramp, which groaned and hissed as it released itself from the hull of the freighter. Fable's troubled figure had turned to one of anger, and Anna understood her sister's turmoil. It was not easy to see the man she had once loved controlling something that could be classified as evil, and completely against the Alliance.

"Ready?" Anna asked.

"I guess so," Fable said, and the three beings made their way down the ramp. Fable held her head high, her presence commanding authority as they walked down from the ship. The Star Destroyer was bustling with activity, and as they descended, they were instantly met with one hundred stormtroopers. Anna rolled her eyes, slightly amused. Their blasters drawn and trained on the three Rebels. Deke held up his hands, but neither of the Astin sisters moved. It would take much more than stormtroopers to intimidate them. However, these stormtroopers were not Imperial. Their armour had a very subtle hint of blue, and they seemed to be slightly modified. Still, they were threatening the Rebels, and that was enough to put them under the label of "enemy".

The three looked up as a man walked into the bay, an entourage of stromtrooper behind him. Anna could feel the darkness emanating from this man, and she glared as he approached them.

"Leave them," he commanded, and the stormtroopers surrounding the three all lowered their weapons, and allowed him to go through. He stood face to face with Fable, who held her chin high.

"You are Captain Fable Astin?" he asked.

Fable hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough to make Anna raise her eyebrow.

"I am," she said.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as his eyes settled on Anna. The younger girl stared right back at him, and he chuckled darkly.

"Anna Anara," he said. "I never thought I'd see this day."

"Consider yourself lucky," she snarled at him, her attitude getting the better of her once again. He gave her a small grin.

"You will follow me," he stated. "I am Lieutenant Bane Werth." He looked over across the vast sea of his troops, and Anna could feel the pride welling within him. "I am second-in-command to Lord Jaalib Brandl, the commander of this ship, the Protectorate I, and the fighters who are currently blasting your Rebel friends from space. If you wish to alleviate any more bloodshed, I suggest you come with me."

Fable was clearly off-put by this man, but whether or not is was because of the Dark side that spoke volumes, or that the mission itself was unnerving her, Anna did not know.

"C'mon, Deke, let's get this over with," she growled.

The pilot stepped forward, only to be met by multiple blasters aimed right at his head. Fable turned on her heel, clearly unhappy.

"The Master requested that you be alone," Werth said. "Your companion will not be harmed, so long as he behaves himself."

"What of my Commander?" Fable asked, and Anna tried not to look surprised at the title. She had been given the rank of Commander after Han's rescue, but no one had ever used it before. Not even the higher-ups of the Alliance.

"She will come with me," Werth said, and Anna shot him a menacing glare from under her hood. "This way."

Fable turned back to look at Deke, worried for him, but he seemed to be a bit calmer.

"Don't worry, captain," he said. "It's not time to make it personal. Get those hostages back. Don't you worry, I'll be here when you get back, I hope."

Anna tried to block out the last part of Deke's sentence. Surely, these troops would not be so stupid as to engage them. This fleet seemed fairly small, and even though the Rebels were losing the battle outside, if the rest of the Alliance had backed this mission, the fleet of this organization would be destroyed.

The walk was silent, but both Fable and Anna were lost in thought. Both of them were put off by their current situations, but for different reasons. Fable was the one to break the silence.

"Are you a Jedi?" she asked. The tone she carried sounded like she already knew the answer.

Werth stopped and turned to face both of the Rebels, a small smile on his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Jaalib would not be so stupid as to leave the two of us alone with any ordinary underling," Fable shot back, clearly trying to intimidate the lieutenant, but she seemed unmoved. In fact, he laughed.

"Well said," he spoke, bowing his head. "Jaalib mentioned that you had a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit. I know a great deal about you, Captain Astin. A great deal. Enough to thoroughly respect your talents as both a soldier, and a Jedi. But do not be deceived by appearances. You're safety here is at the request of the master; and no one questions the orders or the motives of Lord Brandl."

He keyed in a code by a nearby panel. A blast door parted before them.

"Please, he awaits you inside," Werth said. "You may stay here, Miss Anara."

Anna and Fable exchanged quick, nervous glances before Fable strode inside of the room. As sonar she was out of sight, the blaster doors closed, leaving Anna alone with Werth.

"You've been in hiding for a long time," he commented.

"Six months," she corrected, refusing to meet his gaze. "Hardly a long time."

"Hmm," Werth said, amused. "What drove you out of your little hiding spot."

"Wouldn't you like to know," Anna growled. She was warning him to back off, but he seemed to ignore her body language, and instead took a step toward her. She refused to move back, no matter how much the lieutenant repulsed her.

"It's Skywalker, isn't it?" Worth asked, clearly amused. "Yes, it is him. What a shame that he fell, he had so much potential in him."

"You did not know him," Anna said, turning sharply in order to stand right in front of him. "Do not taunt me."

"You leave yourself open to it," Werth said. "Therefore, I seize my opportunities when I can."

"You disgust me," Anna said, turning away.

"Not much has changed then," Werth said. "Except for your gait. You seem to be injured. Is the Alliance really struggling that severely?"

"I am here not on my own accord, lieutenant, I am here because I must be."

Werth began to pace around her, and she eyed him cautiously. She did not trust him, not at all, but she refused to let him intimidate her.

"I'm sure," he said. "You have the same attitude as Captain Astin does. I wonder why."

"My attitude is quite common, you will find. You just need to know where to look."

"I would much rather stay out of the places you've visited. Especially the Undercity."

"Work was good there. You wouldn't understand, you've had your life handed to you."

Worth stepped back from her, amused. "Just as I remember. Fiery as always."

Anna eyed him cautiously, shifting her weight from leg to leg, wincing as her painkillers started to wear off. The pain was becoming sharper, and she knew that she couldn't stay up on it much longer. Whatever she had done to it, the damage was far worse than she realized.

"You know that I could hand you over to the Empire right now," Werth said. "I'd be paid very handsomely for it."

"You aren't that stupid," Anna snapped. "Do not make empty threats." She paused, looking up at him. "Then again, all of your threats are empty." Werth opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a shout from inside. "Bane!"

It was a masculine voice, and Anna could feel the cruelty in it.

"Here, Jaalib," Werth said.

"It seems our retrieval mission has become a rescue mission," he said. "Have my fighter prepared. I will oversee this myself to ensure no other uncertain variables."

"Was that a threat?" Fables sharp voice rang out, and Anna couldn't help but feel a small swell of pride.

"My father was the one who loved riddles and enigmatic gestures, Fable, I have no time for them. My words were a warning. Should you follow me, great harm will befall you. That I promise you, and there will be no hero to come on stage and rescue you this time."

For the first time, Anna saw Jaalib Brandl, and he was nothing like she had expected him to be. He was quite tall, with black hair that curled over his face and piercing blue eyes. She could sense the darkness from him, and even though she didn't feel the power of the Sith in him, he had embraced the Dark side to its fullest extent. He was surprised when he saw who had accompanied Fable on the mission.

"You," Jaalib said. "I thought you were in hiding."

"Recently retrieved, it seems," Anna said, wasting no time in making her point.

"They're both to leave?" Werth whispered, breaking off the slight conversation that the two had. "To leave the ship?"

"Neither of them are of any consequence to us, nor their Rebel friends," Jaalib said, his voice stern.

"Long live the king," Fable's voice cut through the air again, followed by sarcastic clapping. "Long live the king. You have become your father."

"On the contrary," Jaalib growled. "I have become what I have always been meant to be. Goodbye, Fable."

With that, the lieutenant and the Dark Jedi were on their way, and Fable stumbled out of the room, carrying a half-conscious Twi'lek over her shoulders.

"Oh, no," Anna said, instantly at her sister's side to support the Twi'lek's body. "What happened in there?"

"I will tell you once we get back to the ship," Fable said. "Are you sure you're fit for this?"

"No, but I'm not just going to let you drag him back to the docking bay," Anna said.

The two sisters moved slowly, not that they could walk much faster than usual. The mercenaries failed the halls, rushing back and forth, but not getting in their way. The two of them struggled to make it back to the docking bay, and they couldn't cal for help, as the comlinks were jammed.

"Did you know that lieutenant?" Fable asked, struggling for her breath as they turned a corner.

"Him and I go way back," Anna said. "That's what happens when you play the smuggling game. He was the one that recommended me to Adam."

"You used to smuggle for Shay?" Fable said, her upper lip curling in disgust.

"He paid me well," Anna said simply. Even though Fable was her sister, there was no desire to speak of the experiences on Coruscant with Shay. Only Luke had been told about them.

The docking bay was bustling with activity, with fighters flying out every few seconds and troops running to their ships.

"This is madness," Anna said, but Fable did not respond. The fighters outside were getting slaughtered, Ann knew. She could feel the deaths through the Force, and it made her wince.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached the ramp of the Prodigal. "Deke!" Fable called as they walked up into the ship. Behind them, the ramp shut, and Deke's shadow appeared.

"Captain!" he called back, and rushed over to help the two girls. "By the frozen wastes of Neftal! Rhobbie. Go, Anna, I'll carry him from here."

He shifted under the Twi'lek, holding him up, and Anna slipped out from underneath, relieved to have the pressure off of her back. Her knee was even more aggravated than it had been, and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before it gave out completely on her. Still, she followed the two back into an open room.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Deke asked Fable, who still had a sorrowed look on her face. "Talking to him didn't work?"

"No," Fable said, shaking her head. "He's no better than his father."

"Then it's true," Deke said. "His father offered him up to the Emperor in lieu of you. He's a Dark Jedi now."

"And as powerful as his father, if not more so," Fable said. She still looked fairly shaken from the reunion, and Anna couldn't help but feel sorry for her sister. Not long ago, she had stood before Luke, reunited, and not in the way that she wanted to.

"How'd you get away?" Deke asked, looking up at Fable, then over to Anna.

"He let us go," Fable said, securing the Twi'lek safely in a bunk. Since there were hardly any medical supplies, they would have to wait until they got back to Haven Base. "Are you alone?"

"They left a few minutes ago," Deke answered.

"Contact the Rebel command station," Fable said, her voice finding the power that it had lacked for the past few minutes. "Don't worry about encrypting the message, we haven't time. Tell them the escort shuttle has been hut and is going down into the atmosphere."

With that, she was hurrying to the cockpit. Deke followed her, but Anna stayed behind. She knew the Twi'lek from the few days she had spent with the Rebels, after she had completed her training on Dagobah. Rhobbie was a Rebel spy, and he had nearly died for it. All this time that she was away, the Rebellion was still fighting gallantly, and they were still on the losing side of the battle. It pained her to know that her own assumed feelings had blocked her from helping the cause.

The ship lurched forward, and she made her way slowly to the cockpit, sinking down in her spot behind Fable. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're landing on Redcap," Fable said. "The escort shuttle has been shot down, and we need to be there in order to not turn this into a completely and utter slaughter of our forces. You feeling up for it?"

"Not really," Anna said. "But I'll do what I can."

"Good," Fable said. "I have no idea what to expect, so stay sharp."

Redcap's grey skies completely obliterated any chance of natural light on the planet, and the freezing rain did not make the surface any more bearable. The Prodigal landed, and the three Rebels made their way quickly out of the shuttle, or at least, as fast as they could with Anna limping along behind. Fable was sprinting, heading toward one thing; the smoking wreckage of the escort shuttle, which had been buried under the red-orange clay. Anna shook her head; even with the cloak over her face, the freezing rain was still hitting her straight in the eye, making it nearly-impossible to see clearly.

"Hurry, you two!" Fable said.

"I'm right behind you, captain," Deke said, struggling to regain his breath after the fast-paced hike. "How are you holding up, Anna?"

"About as good as I can," she responded, also out of breath. Her knee pain was starting to reawaken, and she was wincing with nearly every step she took. It was hard work trying to get herself out of the mud and clay, and being injured was not helping her mobility at all.

The three of them reached a tall ridge, looking down over the wreckage, where the orange suits of the Rebel soldiers were locked in an intense battle with the Protectorate mercenaries. The passengers on the escort ship were struggling to keep themselves above ground, as the ship was sinking fast, and soon it would be completely gone. Anna pulled her saberstaff from her cloak, but did not ignite it. The element of surprise would be key, but as soon s she raised her eyes, that advantage was gone. The blaster fire from the Rebels was directed instead toward a Dark Jedi, moving gracefully along the wet, muddy surface of the planet, mercenaries all advancing around him. His lightsaber was ignited, deflecting the blaster boys harmlessly away from him. The lieutenant stood at his side, directing his men, though the three could not make out what was being said.

"They don't stand a chance," Deke said with a shake of his head. "Not with Jaalib down there, and that lieutenant, if what you say is true, has to be packing a lightsaber too. What are we t—"

He was cut off by Fable's departure down the ridge, sliding easily along the clay and mud. Deke looked over at Anna, clearly worried for his captain's safety.

"What do we do, commander?" he asked.

Anna sighed. It had been a long time since she had given orders to anyone, much less directed them into a dangerous battle. "Fable will do what she can to stop Jaalib," she said. "I am hardly in any condition to fight, but I need to stop Werth."

"Are you crazy?" Deke said.

"I thought you already knew that," Anna said, and winked at the Rebel co-pilot, before she too slid down the blood-red clay, clutching her saberstaff tightly in her hand. Fable had already put himself between Jaalib and the shuttle, and Werth ignited his lightsaber.

Jaalib smiled and threw his arm out to stop the lieutenant. "Leave her to me," the Dark Jedi said. "Get those hostages, and get back to the ship."

"I have another idea," Anna said, throwing herself in the fray, igniting her saberstaff. The two pearl-white blades shot of the ends, and for a moment, the pain her knee subsided as adrenaline rushed through her veins. Jaalib rolled his eyes at her.

"It's not the first time that you've distracted me," Werth said through clenched teeth, his pale yellow lightsaber crackling as the rain hit it. "But it wouldn't be right to strike down someone who is at a disadvantage."

"You underestimate me," Anna said, and with that, she spun her heel, bringing down one of the pearl-white blades on his own, as a warning shot. The rhythm of battle came naturally to her, and she could tell that the lieutenant was slightly taken aback by her sudden attack. However, she didn't press him further, instead jumped back, bringing her saberstaff up to a neutral position, ready for any attack.

"Impressive," he said. "You've been trained well, but let's see how good you really are."

In that moment, she brought his lightsaber down on her, and she pushed him back easily, willing her knee to hold her up. She swung one of her blades close to his body, and he gritted his teeth as it missed him by a fraction of an inch, but the heat still singed his uniform. He lashed back at her, and once again, she blocked, ensuring to keep herself steady on the slippery terrain. However, it was much easier said than done, and the rain was obscuring her vision. Her hood flew off as she attacked him, spinning her hilt of her saberstaff along her fingers and jabbing it at his midsection. He leapt back from the attack, and slammed his own blade against hers, the motion upsetting her balance slightly. However, she got back a place where she was facing him, and her eyes had a daring look about them, as if she was taunting him. She could see the fear in his eyes, knowing that she was able to spot the smallest vulnerabilities, but she never took full advantage of them. He was unsure if that was because of her injury, or if she was simply toying with him. Either way, it made him angry, and slightly fearful of her.

"Not the same as you remember it, is it?" Anna asked.

"You had a blaster last time," Werth snapped.

"Blaster fire is not nearly as personal as this," she said. "It's almost like cheating. In a duel, you must work for it."

"And so you will," Werth said, and launched into a fury of attacks, slightly catching her off guard. She blocked one, two, three strikes, but he kept coming at her with full-blown attacks, forcing her on the defensive, determined not to give him anything. The blades clashed and sparks flew and crackled every time they met each other. For a moment, she felt the sheer bliss of being caught in a fight, living each second in the moment, not caring about anything else that happened around them. The only thing that she was focused on was her opponent, and he was fading fast. There was no way he would be able to keep up his pace, not in this terrain. It bogged him down, and every swing at her looked as though it took more effort than the last. She narrowed her eyes and channeled the Force, pushing up off of his feet and sending him back into the red-orange clay below.

Worth grunted as he brought himself back to his feet. She was stalking him, and he bared his teeth at her.

"You are not nearly as powerful as you'd like to think," he growled, pushing himself up off of the mud.

"I could say the same to you," she spat back, halting and assuming her ready position. "I am clearly not the warrior you remember."

"You were not a warrior," he said. "You were a frightened smuggler, running from your life, trying to put as much distance between that planet you grew up on and yourself. You were led right into my grasp, right into General Shay's grasp. And now, not much has changed. You just have far better skills."

"Much better than yours, it seems," she hissed at him. "Even with a bad knee, I am still on the offensive, forcing your weak figure back."

"Really?" he questioned. "If you think so, then let's even this fight, shall we?"

Then she felt the blade hit her, directly above her right knee. She screamed, collapsing against the mud and clay. The wound wasn't deep, but it had burned away the layers of skin. She felt the heat of the lieutenant's blade as he lifted it to her throat.

"That is what happens when you get cocky, my dear," he said.

"You won't kill me," she hissed.

"Maybe not," the lieutenant said, retracting his blade away from her throat. "But only because I would not enjoy it. Not after I've defeated you so handily, and not because you've been hurt."

Anna cursed under her breath and fell back against the red clay, the rain beating down on her broken body. Her saberstaff had disengaged, and she watched out of the corners of her eyes, her sister battling Jaalib not far away.

"The time for play is over, Fable," Jaalib taunted. "Leave now, with your men, and I shall keep my promise to you. If you do not leave, I fear something unpleasant will happen."

"So be it!" Fable screamed over the roaring rain. She lunged at him with so much fury and anger she nearly blurred into the background. Jaalib was instantly sent back, forced on the defensive, blocking her attacks as best as he could. Fable's lightsaber hit his shoulder, and he recoiled away from her, then lunged at her own arm. She screamed as it cut cleanly through her jacket, burning the flesh beneath it. However, she regained herself quickly, and swung at him time and time again.

"Fable!" Jaalib called, and dropped to his knees as they reached the top of a rocky ridge. "Fable, enough!"

"I'm not listening to you!" she seethed. Anna winced as her sister embraced the darkness. "You're no better than him, your father. Who's no better than Vialco! Or Tremayne! Or Vader! All dark-siders, killers, murderers! Butchers!"

Anna saw then Jaalib's fearful expression. he had been so confident before, but now, he looked small, his confidence gone.

"Fable," he said, pleading with her.

"Save it, I'm not listening!" she screamed back at him, but at that point, it was too late. He was not pleading for her to stop, but for her to turn around. They were standing on a rocky edge of the ridge, with nothing below it but fog. She tried to spin, but her footing was lost. Anna could only watch as her sister disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

It was at that moment when she could not longer hold her head, and she fell into the unconscious darkness.

* * *

 **We are now officially halfway through this story asdfghjkl**  
 **About 3/4's of the way through this chapter, I left to go trail riding. During that time, my horse ended up getting caught in 2ft deep mud and I ended up knocking my knee (not my bad one though, figures) into a tree. I was in a sour mood when I wrote it, maybe that shows through in my writing? Sorry Anna.**


	15. Chapter 15

Anna was standing alone in the darkness when she opened her eyes. She couldn't even see her own hands in front of her. The blackness around her seemed to be consuming everything. She looked in every direction. But it hardly seemed as though she had her eyes open. Nothing suggested that she was even alive.

Her mind snapped up as the darkness around her retreated in one area of her vision, revealing a figure dressed in brown Jedi robes, dark brown, curly hair framing his face. She squinted at the figure, having never seen him before, yet there was a hint of familiarity about his face. He greeted her with a warm smile, and stepped toward her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"The father of the man you love," he said in a deep voice. "Anakin Skywalker."

"Am I dead?" she asked.

"No," he said.

"Are you?"

The man stopped, lowering his head. "This part of me, yes," he said. "But we are both in the same place. You want to wake up, and so do I."

"What does that mean?" Anna asked, eyeing him cautiously.

"My son needs me," he said. "He doesn't need Darth Vader. He is playing a dangerous game, one that I fell for over twenty-five years ago. I don't want him to make the same mistake I did."

"But how?" she asked. "You're nearly dead."

"My body nearly is," he said. "I've been in this place for what feels like years, alone. It's let me reflect on everything that has happened. I see the outside world and the chaos that my son has descended into. He needs a voice in his life, and unfortunately, that is not you, not when you can't even be near him. That voice must be me. Now, I can make a choice to return to him."

Anna dropped her gaze. In the brief moments she had met this man, she had been afraid, angry, and challenging, but she had never felt remorse for anything he said to her. Now, here he stood, without the armour, as his former self. The Chosen One, as he was labelled, years before she was born. He seemed so human now, but something still didn't add up to her.

"Why did you let him suffer like that?" she asked. "That night, on the Death Star. You could've ended it all if you had the mind to. Why didn't you?"

Anakin sighed, glancing down. "To this day, I don't know," he said softly. "Maybe it was because of my injuries, but I know that I could have saved him from this fate. I don't want him to end up like me. I know that he's there in order to save you, at least, that's what he thinks. However, the Dark side is toxic, and all-consuming. If he doesn't break out of it soon, there's no coming back. He may be lost forever." Anakin Stopped and turned his back to her. "You have a choice," he continued. "You can return to your life, or you can walk just a little further, into the light."

"The choice seems obvious," she said sternly.

"It won't be easy," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, but he was already walking away, his brown cloak billowing out behind him. "Wait, answer me! Do not just leave!"  
However, she felt as though she was falling as the ground beneath her gave way. She tried to scream, but nothing came out, and when she opened her eyes, she was nearly blinded by the white that surrounded her.

 _The medical bay_ , she thought to herself. She was alive, but she couldn't feel much. She blinked a few times, allowing everything to come into focus. She could hear the muffled voices of frantic talking, and she turned her head, trying to find the source, but it seemed as though they were surrounding her with no definitive point. However, there was one stern, feminine voice that stood out amongst them all.

"Leia," she spoke, but her voice came out as barely a whisper. In that moment, Leia's worried face appeared in Anna's vision.

"Thank the Maker, you're all right!" Leia said, and Anna gave the former princess a reassuring grin.

"Fable…" Anna said. "I saw her go over the edge of a ridge."

"Don't worry," Leia said. "We recovered her, and captured Jaalib. She had broken her spinal cord in two places, but she's recovering now."

Anna felt a huge relief wash over her. Fable was okay. The last thing she wanted was for the sister she had just met to be taken from her.

"How long have I been out?" Anna asked.

"About ten days," Leia said. "You had a very bad wound above your knee. I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, lifting her head up as far as it would go. In that moment, she saw exactly what the price was for her little stunt on Redcap. Her right leg, from her knee down, was no more, replaced with a prosthetic leg. She wanted to read down and touch it, but her body was far too heavy to even make a simple movement such as that. The wound hadn't felt bad when she had suffered it, but it had clearly been much worse when they had found her. How long had she been lying on the surface of Redcap? Hours? Days?

"Where's Fable?" Anna asked, looking back at Leia.

"She's in another room, resting," Leia said. "She will make a full recovery, just as you will, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about her," Anna said. "I need you to tell me that Luke is still okay."

Leia dropped her gaze. "That, I cannot tell you," she said. "There have been reports of that Star Destroyer, with him, General Shay, and someone else from his past."

"Who?" Anna asked.

"A woman named Shira Brie," Leia said. "She used to serve with us, but she was an Imperial Spy. She's now known as the Dark Lady."

"Lumiya," Anna said. "I thought she was dead?"

"So did the rest of us," Leia grumbled. "Luke shot her ship down, before he found out that she was an Imperial Spy. It tore him apart, but she has resurfaced. However, she's not even a woman anymore. She looks as though she's more machine and human. It must be hurting him too."

"It's a test," Anna said. "The Emperor wants to him to complete the fall. He's using her in order to bring out Luke's emotions."

"Then we don;t have much time," Leia said.

"Did you get your plan approved?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Leia shifted in the chair that sat next to the bed, her eyes not meeting Anna's. "You are in no condition to fight."

"I need to be there. I'll be fine."

"You just lost half of your leg, Anna. You're not fine."

"I need to be there. He needs to know what he's fighting for."

"I'm sorry," Leia said, standing up. "I can't let you go out there. Not in your condition. You need to rest. I promise you that we'll get him back."

* * *

Fable did not remember much after the fall. Only that she had been lying no her back, with no feeling below her waist, her body irresponsive, one of her legs mangled at an angle that seemed impossible. She was in pain, mostly in her chest, but she could wiggle her toes. She sat upright, running her hands down her legs, feeling the heat form her hands as she did so, and let out a breath.

"Jaalib?" she called. "Are you here?"

She whipped her head around to look at a shadow that move in the corner of the room, and he crossed over to the side of her bed. The one thing that she did realize were the binders locked around his wrists.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Arbra," he responded.

"Haven Base," she whispered. "Where's Anna?"

Jaalib shifted his weight around behind he knelt beside her. "She's recovering," he said.

"But what happened?" Fable pressed. "Don't try to hide it from me."

"She lost the bottom half of her right leg," Jaalib said. "You've both been out for ten days."

Fable didn't seem to register the last part of his statement. "How did she lose her leg?"

"Bane struck her above her knee," Jaalib said. "By the time we got here, the leg was beyond saving. I watched you fall, and I know that I couldn't leave you behind. And Anna, I got the sense that she's very important to you."

"She's important to the Alliance," Fable said. "You let them capture you?"

"And only me," he said. "What a prize for them, capturing a Dark Jedi. You would've thought that they had captured the Emperor himself."  
Fable let herself smile. "I should be dead," she said. "How am I still alive, let alone completely paralyzed? I couldn't feel my legs at all after that fall."

Jaalib rested a hand on her leg, lost in thought. "Force healing," he said. "The Emperor wanted to experiment on lives, raising the dead or near-dead. It evener turned out well for anyone, and I thought it was all foolish to believe that the Force could do something like that. However, I saw you, lying in the mud and rain, and I knew you were dying."

"So you used the Dark side to heal me?" Fable asked.

Jaalib straightened up. "You are far too curious for your own good," he said.

"Then tell me what the Dark side is like," she said.

Jaalib sighed. "Why?" he challenged, turning it on her.

"As you say, I am curious," Fable retorted.

"You have channeled it before," he said. "Why are to so insistent on hearing it from me?"

"Because it looks to me like you've fully embraced it," Fable said.

Jaalib turned his back to her, but didn't move any further away. "It's Skywalker, isn't it?" he asked. "You know that he's almost completely fallen."  
"I will neither confirmed nor deny," Fable said.

"You know something?" he asked. "I have met with him a few times during my tenor, learning from the Emperor what I could about the powers of the Dark side. He's too far gone, Fable. He's taken the same path of his father."

"You don't know him," Fable said. "I served with him."

"You never seemed this intent on him before," Jaalib said. "What is going on, Fable? There's something you're not telling me, I can see it all over your face."

Fable let out a small sigh. Could she trust Jaalib? He was captured after all, but she didn't want to run the risk of him spreading it all around.

"Anna is not just a friend of mine," Fable said. "We share blood. She helped me get you back, the man I love, and now I must repay her for it by helping her retrieve her own."

"She's your sister?" Jaalib asked, and Fable nodded. He turned to face her, kneeling down at her side once more. His face carried a different expression than it had just moments ago, and Fable was slightly put off by it. "You need to rest, Fable," he said. "I can assure you that everything will be fine while you recover." He straightened up once again and began to walk toward the sealed door.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, concerned.

"I must ask her a few questions," he said.

"She'll never respond to you." Fable swung her legs over the bed and stood, a little bit wobbly at first, but managed to keep herself fairly straight as she stood. "She thinks quite ill of you."

"I know," he said. "It's because of Bane, and she'll not be happy to see me, but there are things that I must know."

"Why?"

"If she is your family, then she is mine as well. I will help you. The Dark side is finished."

* * *

 **I decided to put both Anna and Fable in this chapter, though it didn't turn out near as long as I'd hoped. Oh well. Still incredibly behind on this story, there is another idea for an upcoming SW fanfic that's been bouncing around in my head and driving me crazy, which is taking most of my muse away from this story.**  
 **As always, thank you for reading and feedback!**


	16. Chapter 16

When Jaalib found Anna's room, Leia was long gone. That was probably for the best, as he needed her alone. The last thing he wanted to do was set off Leia, as it was proven that she could get nasty if she was provoked. Then again, Anna was the same way, and so was Fable. However, he didn't know the other Astin sister, and he needed to that carefully.

He slowly pushed open the door to her room, seeing that she was lying still, her eyes open. She didn't acknowledge him as he stood in the doorway, even as he waited to see what she would do.

"I'm not giving you a damn invitation to enter my room," she growled, her eyes still fixated on the spotless white ceiling above her. "I thought you were captured anyway."

He shook his wrists, the clinking of the metal binders echoing throughout the room. "I am," he said. "I was simply checking up on your sister."

That got her attention, and Anna flew forward, ignoring the painful protested of her muscles. "Say that again," she challenged, her eyes boring into him.

"You are so much like her, you know," he said. "Fiery, with a sharp wit."

"And I'm sure you didn't come to compliment me on how much alike Fable and I are," Anna muttered, crossing her arms in front of her. "What do you want?"

"I need you to answer a few questions for me," he said honestly. There was no point in hiding the truth from her.

"If you think I'm going to answer any of your foolish questions, you're delusional," she said.

"Is that so?" he asked, the question rhetorical. "I know that you desperately want to be on the ground when they go after the one you love and try to bring him home."

He felt her anger through the Force, but it fizzled out quickly. He had heard about her shaky ability to keep her emotions in check, and though he had renounced the Dark side, he couldn't help but reach out and indulge, if only for a moment.

"I'm sure you would do the same if Fable were in his position," Anna snarled.

"I would," he said. "She knows that I would too. Her and I are much like Luke and yourself, even if you don't want to admit it right now. However, what I can tell you is that he is almost completely gone. The Dark side is a void; you don't know how far you've fallen until to try to climb out of it. By that time, it is too late."

Anna traced the scar on her wrist, something she hadn't done in a long time. She was thinking back to her meeting with Anakin Skywalker, knowing that that part of Luke's father was struggling for his life, and trying to redeem himself.

"Luke is not there because he wanted to," Anna said. "He was faced with an impossible situation. The entire reason he breathes is because Palpatine continues to as well."

"I know he's in an impossible situation," Jaalib said. "I want to help you."

"How could you help me?" she scoffed. "Your a prisoner of the Rebellion, nearly killed the one you loved, and made me lose half of my leg. What makes you think that I'll trust you?"

"Because Fable does," Jaalib said, unfazed by her attitude.

"You've known Fable for five years," Anna said. "You made her life bearable while she was training on Trulalis. Me? I've known you for about two hours, and none of that is filled with anything remotely positive. Fable may trust you because she loves you, but you have a hell of a lot of work to do in order to gain my trust. I do not give it out willingly anymore."

Jaalib held up his bound hands, as if he was surrendering to her. "Fair enough," he said. "I just need to know one thing; how far will you go in order to save him?"

Anna stared him down, but he could tell that she was thinking. "You're in love, you should know the answer," she said. "How far would you go to save Fable?"

"I'd die for her."

"You have your answer."

Jaalib nodded his head, processing it all. "Then that will make this mission much easier." He turned to leave.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Anna growled.

"You will find out soon enough," Jaalib said, and with that, he was gone from the room, leaving Anna alone with her thoughts once more.

* * *

Outside of the medical bay, a certain dark-haired boy sat, his hands clasped together. From the outside, he looked relatively calm, but not eh inside, his emotions were waging a war with him. His physique had deteriorated in the past week. He had hardly slept, and had barely eaten. Ever since he had watched Anna being rushed into the medical bay, her sister right beside her, everything had been a whirlwind for him. He had been been close to her every second he could, watching as she lay, nearly lifeless, on the bed. Now that she was awake,e he didn't know what to do. Should he go see her, and make sure that she was recovering properly? Would she even want to see him? They hadn't spoken since they had been on the Prodigal nearly two weeks ago.

He threw his head back, sitting up in his seat. Two weeks ago, they had been on Naboo. She had been on a run to the market while he searched the databases for any leads on who this mysterious sister might be. Now, he was sitting in the middle of a Rebel Base, she was not who she said she was, had found her sister, and had lost half of her leg. He had also evaded capture by the Empire, and had been told that she was going to rescue Luke Skywalker, even though it seemed like a lost cause.

Tyler lifted his head as Leia walked out of the medical bay, one hand firmly planted on her curved stomach. He stood up quickly as she approached him.

"How is she?" he asked, wincing at himself as he sounded a little bit too forward.

"She's still in shock," Leia said with a sigh. "I don't know what's going to happen to her, since she wants to go out in the mission, but I'm not letting her, not until she's fully recovered. She thinks that he'll be completely lost by that point."

"How does she know that he isn't already completely lost?" Tyler asked.

"The Force works in strange ways, Tyler," Leia said. "It won't make sense to those who don't understand it, and unfortunately, I couldn't tell you much on the subject either. All I know is that she believes he can still come back, but he doesn't have much time."

Tyler ran a hand through his dark hair, turning his back on Leia. "It's a suicide mission," he said.

Leia let out a defeated sigh. There was no point in try to convince Tyler otherwise. He was very dead-set in his thoughts about this entire ordeal, and she was surprised that he was still sticking around for as long as he had.

"There's no one in there right now, if you want to go see her," Leia said, and turned to walk away, leaving Tyler alone. He had been fairly compliant up until this point, but now, he seemed as though was trapped between sides. Leia knew that he cared for Anna, but that would not be enough to keep him on the base. Mon Mothma wanted to make sure that he was completely loyal to the Alliance, and he had failed to pledge. However, he could not just cast out, not since he knew where the location of the base was.

Tyler turned, watching Leia's retreating figure until is disappeared into a different corridor. He flexed his fingers, curling them into fists then relaxing them again, unsure of what he wanted to do. He wanted to see Anna, and make sure that she was okay, but there was a part of him that was warning him off. Finally, he turned, still in turmoil over if he really wanted to see her. He felt as though he would be discarded as soon as she was reunited with Luke, and even though he had grown to care for her deeply, he knew that she was never available to stake his claim. Myra Thorne was, but Anna Anara-Astin was much different. Her heart was taken by someone else. However, he still wanted to make sure that she was happy, and that she was able to live a proper life. He let out a powerful breath before he walked back into the medical bay.

* * *

"She's been severely injured, Supreme Commander," Shay said, keep his eyes trained on Luke's back. The Dark Jedi had his hands on the sill of the view screen, looking out over the blood-red planet below them.

"Extent of the damage, General?" Luke asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Her right leg has been severed," Shay said. "From her knee down."

"Then this mission should be fairly straight forward," Lumiya's distorted voice cut through the air, making the two men wince. "We go in, we kill her and her sister, and everything will return as it once was."

"If you have a location on where they have taken her, Dark Lady, I'm all ears," Luke growled. "Lieutenant Werth has been dark for nearly a week, more so than Jaalib Brandl, who's been dark for nearly two. Something has happened to the Protectorate."

"Why does that matter?" Shay asked. "They're traitors. They intercepted an Imperial ship. They both went against us. Why should we even care where they are."

"Because if they are captured, we can find them," Luke said. "That will lead us right to their base."

"Funny, Supreme Commander," Lumiya spat. "That you don't know where your friends are hiding out. Surely, you know where their base is."

"Endor was the last planet they wanted to make their base at," Luke said. "All of the previous locations have been destroyed or abandoned. You wouldn't know, you were still recovering during those missions."

Lumiya took a step forward, and Luke spun on his heel, igniting his lightsaber. Shay jumped back, his back hitting a wall as the two Force warriors stared each other down.

"You are holding back, Skywalker," Lumiya snapped. "There is something you're not telling us, and I'd really like to know what it is."

"Of course you would," Luke snarled at her. "But you do not have any power over me, Dark Lady, and I'd appreciate it if you'd back off."

Lumiya turned away from him, but he did not disengage his lightsaber. "You know, I've checked over all of the planets of abandoned bases," she said. "It seems that you've conveniently forgotten about one, or maybe you never expected someone to call you out on it. Remember Arbra? Haven Base? You have not gone there. I just find it somewhat concerning that of all of the places you claimed to know of, you stay away from this one. How peculiar."

"Haven Base was abandoned before the Battle of Endor, and you know that," Luke said. "There is no reason for them to go back there."

"You really think I'm the foolish one here, don't you?" she challenged. "I know you, Skywalker. You don't scare me, and you sure as hell don't have any power over me, but I have the upper hand on you, whether you know it or not, so I'll give you a choice. You go to Arbra, with the Imperial fleet under your command, or I will do it myself. I can assure you that I'll enjoy every moment hat I cut down those criminals; Leia Organa, Han Solo, and especially Anna Anara-Astin. It is your choice, Skywalker."

Luke wanted to engage Lumiya right there, but he fought the urge. He dug his fingernails into the hilt of his lightsaber before he disengaged it. "Tell the fleet to set their co-ordinates for the Arbran system," he said, defeated. He felt Lumiya's satisfaction through the Force, and even though it angered him to no end, he did nothing about it. She wanted his reaction, and he would not give her anything to work with.

"See, it wasn't that hard, was it?" she asked, her voice taunting. He gave her a sharp look as she turned and walked away, ready to send the rest of the fleet to the Arbran system. Shay pushed himself off of the wall, still a little bit shaken from the exchange.

"How long have you known about this base?" he asked.

"I worked there, General, I've known about ti for a long time," Luke said, the power in his voice returning, as well as his annoyance with Shay.

"They had abandoned the base right before the Battle of Endor, and I know how the Alliance works. They won't go back there. They move constantly in an attempt to keep the Empire a step behind."

"How irritating," Shay said. "I was really looking forward to seeing Anna weakened."

Luke clenched his jaw, but said nothing. Shay too was trying to get a rise out of him, and it wouldn't work, however, with each passing day, it seemed to get harder and harder to push the emotions of the Dark side away. He felt anger much more often than he used to, and with Lumiya around, it was never-ending. Was this some sort of sick test to complete his fall? Did the Emperor know that he was not completely invested in the cause? Surely, the former Sith Lord had sensed conflict, for there was no other reason to bring Lumiya out when he was already at odds with Shay. He could feel the darkness enveloping him more and more with every passing day, and he knew that there was a point of no return, and he was starting to reach it. He wanted nothing more than the Emperor's hold on him severed, so he could return to his friends and family, but it seemed near-impossible now. The Emperor's power was unparalleled, and Luke knew that another life-force was needed if he was to keep living. The only thing was, there was no one on the Light side that would make that sacrifice, not for him. It hurt him to think about, but it was the truth. The ones that could all make the sacrifice were too close to his heart to live without.

It hurt him to think about Anna as well. She had made it back to the Alliance, but lost half of a limb in a mission. He thought back to when he had seen her, two week ago? It had taken nearly no time at all for the Alliance to throw her out into harms way, and he couldn't help but feel some sort of anger toward them.

It wasn't just Anna either. Fable too had suffered terrible injuries, but she would make a full recovery. She didn't need to get a prosthetic fitted. The name of the person who had hurt Anna was not available, but he knew exactly who it was. There was only one person that had a reason to do so.

Luke turned to the the desk of an officer who sat nearby. "If Bane Werth ever rears his ugly head again, ensure that he is taken care of," he commanded. The officer nodded. "As you wish, Supreme Commander," he said, and Luke turned back to stare out the viewscreen. He watched as the stars ahead of him blurred into thin lines, then took off in the swirling blue vortex that was hyperspace.

* * *

 **I had to adjust my goal from 75K to 70K, simply because I've been struggling with this story (week 2 and 3 are always the hardest), and also that I don't have the material to get to 75K unless there are multiple filler chapters. I'm still very behind because I'm getting very, very distracted with other things.**


	17. Chapter 17

Leia stood at the head of the head of the table, her hands firmly planted on either side of her. In front of her sat twelve empty chairs all patiently awaiting their occupants. She scanned the room, searching for any signs of surveillance. Even though the plan had been approved by the higher-ups in the Alliance, it was dangerous and bordering on treason. She straightened up, placing a hand on her rounded belly. Four months ago, she never would have imagined ever having a child, and now she carried one. A smile played on her lips as she thought about the moment she had found out. She would never forget the joy that her and Han had both shared. She ran her hand down the curve, lost in thought. This child would surely have the power of the Force, as it ran strong in her family. He would grow up fighting for the Light, as Luke had done, and she had devoted herself to ending the rule of the Empire.

The door opened, and she snapped out of her thoughts, watching as her most trusted officers and fighters all filed into the room. She watched as the two Astin sisters walked into the room, Anna still moving a little bit awkwardly. She had been awake for three days now, trying to get her ability to walk back again. Anna seemed to sense Leia's stare, and the younger girl smiled.

"You didn't think that you'd be able to get rid of me that easily, did you?" Anna asked. Leia just smiled, impressed that the other girl was so devoted to the cause. She had nearly lost her life on a mission that was supposed to be friendly, and even though the former princess had her doubts about it all, she knew that Anna would fight tooth and nail to get her beloved back.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Leia said, her voice powerful and commanding as everyone around her settled down into their spots. "As you know, you are all very skilled, trusted, and most importantly, you take your jobs very seriously. This mission that I a about to present to you is incredibly risky, and I need to know that you are all on board with making this come to life. You may not agree with it, and if you don't that's fine. You can leave now. This mission is about rescuing Luke from the Dark side, by killing the very man that put him there, Emperor Palpatine."

There was a shift in the mood around the room, but everyone stayed put. Leia tried to keep her emotions to minimum; she had expected at least one person to get up and leave, but they all seemed content with what had been said so far.

"Most of you do not know the Force, or how it works, and that's fine," Leia said. "All that you need to know is that the reason Luke is still breathing is because of Palpatine. He is using the Dark side to keep Luke under his grip. It's becoming increasingly hard for Luke to come to the Light and remind himself of who he truly is, and we want to help him." Leia flashed a glanced at Anna, who was watching with a small smile in her face. "You might be wondering why Luke is still alive, and to explain that, I ask Commander Anara-Astin to explain."

Anna was a little bit taken aback by the request, having not expected it at all. Still, she didn't say anything otherwise; she simply nodded and stood slowly, something she was doing more out of habit than anything else. She had no pain as she walked, but the leg was still a bit stiff, and walking with it was still awkward, but she was getting better. Slowly, she made her way up to the head of the table, and Leia stepped away.

"Thank you," she said with a nod to the former princess. "As Leia explained, Luke's lifeforce depends on Palpatine. He must stay alive in order for Luke to keep breathing, or else they both cease to exist. However, there must be another willing to give his or her life so that Luke can return to us. This person must be affiliated with the Light side, otherwise it won't help him, he will stay in the darkness. This is why he can't kill Palpatine on his own, as there is no one there that has the Light within them, it is all corrupt."

Anna looked back to Leia, who nodded, and stepped forward to reclaim the head of the table. Anna stepped away, ready to go back o her seat, but Leia held out an arm.

"Thank you, Anna," she said, and turned to address the table once again. "Now, you might be wondering who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for Luke, and I will get to that in a moment. However, there is something else you must all know. Most of you will remember Shira Brie, or as she is known now, Lumiya, from her time spent here as a Rebel captain. She was a spy for the Empire, and we all thought that she was dead, until she resurfaced almost two weeks ago, alive. She works alongside Luke and the newly-proclaimed General, Adam Shay. According to our spies, the three of them have been tasked with hunting down the Alliance and destroying it themselves, along with everyone in it. We have also received word that they are searching the Outer Rim, and are closing in on our co-ordinates. We must act fast if this is true. They will not hesitate to kill everyone in this base, as they are under orders, and if Luke decides to turn, he is very easy to kill, in more ways than one.

"You twelve will be responsible for separating Luke from the rest of the Imperials. From there, the person that will give their life to him will come up to us, and it will be complete."

"I wonder who the person is," Fable murmured to herself.

Leia looked over at her, and nodded her head. "This is the point where a lot of you will tell me that I'm crazy, that it'll never work," she said. "You all know that the former apprentice of Palpatine is in critical condition, and that's true. However, our spies have told us that he is like that for a reason. Those who are treating him are supposed to keep him like that, as Luke is his replacement, of sorts. This has prompted Commander Anara-Astin to share in a vision."

Anna winced. She had known that this was coming, but she wasn't sure if anyone would understand. Those who are not Force-sensitive were just string up at her with blank expressions on their faces, completely confused. Still, she took a deep breath and stepped next to Leia once more.

"When I was still in a coma, I saw him in a trance-like state," she said. "I wasn't dead, but we were both in the same states as each other, which was a step before death. Sparing the unimportant details, he told me that he was ready to come back to help Luke. He knew that Luke was being held against his will, and to watch him suffer was something that he wanted to cease. He was not ready to let Palpatine win, especially since he was keeping Vader in that state for so long."

Anna didn't know how to finish off her thought, so she just let her words hang in the air. Everyone around her was silent, even Fable was looking at her with wide eyes. The younger girl shifted her weight from foot to foot, unsure of what to say as she scanned the room. Some seemed to be considering what she had said, others were staring at her as if she had lost her mind.

"What makes you think that he was being sincere?" one of them asked, clearly skeptical.

 _Because he's Luke's father_ , she thought to herself, but she couldn't say it. No one needed to know of Luke's true parentage. No one could ever know that she had talked to Anakin Skywalker and not his alter ego, Darth Vader. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep in under wraps.

"The Force works in strange ways," she said. "It is nearly impossible for me to explain to those of you that do not possess that power, but you all know of that gut feeling. He has a reason to go against Palpatine. That man is the entire reason why he's in the state he is now. How else could you deliver a crippling blow if not taking away his most powerful apprentice?"

That seemed to carry some weight in the room, and Fable's wide-eyed stare turned to one of approval and pride. Anna glanced over at her sister and gave her a small nod.

"How do we get Vader here?" another asked.

"Vader is on the Star Destroyer that Luke is on, according to our spies" Leia said. "He is also starting to make a turnaround, and is out of his coma as of three days ago."

"The same time that Anna woke up," another piped up from the back of the table.

"Correct," Leia said. "This led me to believe that what she told me, and all of you for that matter, is true. If Vader has renounced the Light side, then Luke can continue living his life as he had before."

"And what if he doesn't?" a familiar voice spoke up, and Anna saw Tyler leaning on the wall just beside the door, his arms folded over his chest. "Do you have a backup plan?"

Leia dropped her gaze. "We do, but it involves something that no on wants to go through, and would effectively put us right back where we started," she said, looking over at Anna once again. The younger girl too had a saddened look on her face. She had volunteered to be the one that would offer her live in order to save Luke. It was not fair to him if they were on opposite sides. She would die knowing that he was back where he belonged, and that would give her closure.

"You cannot expect the Imperials to just walk into your hands," Tyler said. "They are not that stupid."

"And you would know how?" Fable asked, turning her chair in order to face Tyler. He didn't even skip a beat.

"Because I grew up on Naboo, an Imperial-sympathizing planet," he said. "I know how they work."

Anna gave him a hard stare, searching for something that would give him away. He was allowed to be in this meeting, she just never expected that he would actually show up. Still, there was something about him that wasn't right, and she couldn't quite place it. Maybe afterward, when they were alone, she could dig it up. He knew all about her now, while she knew practically nothing about him in comparison.

"Are there any questions?" Leia asked. No one moved. "Good, this meeting is adjourned. Prepare yourselves for the Imperials as you see fit. The base is already on high-alert."

As everyone stood to leave, Anna turned to the former princess. "You really think this is going to work?" she asked.

"I hope so," Leia said. "I'm still conflicted over sending you and Fable in."

"We can handle it, Leia," Fable said. "Don't you worry about that. I'm sure Anna has been through worse."

"Unfortunately," Anna said, then turned to her sister. "I'll catch up to you later. I need to talk to Tyler."

Fable seemed to understand exactly what was going on. "Sure," she said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," Anna said, then walked out, seeing Tyler standing outside of the door in the corridor, his back to her.

"Come to question me?" he asked, not turning to face her.

"You don't leave me much of a choice," she said. "Come on, let's go get a drink. I just want to know your backstory. You know most of mine."

"I don't," he said. "I know only what you've told me, which is that you used to be a smuggler until you crashed on Dagobah, then met Luke. The rest of history, of course, but that's hardly your entire backstory."

"And compared to you, I know nothing," she said, walking up to him. He turned his head slightly, but didn't look her straight on. "All I know about you is that you are on the run from something, and that your home planet is Naboo."

"Doesn't feel good, does it?" he asked. "All of the secrets? Lies?"

"I can tell that you're just keeping secrets," she shot back. "You're a horrible liar, I would know if you lied to me about anything."

"One drink," he said. "I'll tell you the basics of it all."

The two walked in silence, and Tyler still refused to look at her. It didn't seem to bother her as much as it once had, she had other things on her mind after all. The mission that she had waited months for was finally being put into place, though she hated the fact that the Imperials were bringing the fight to them. It was a waiting game now.

The bar in Haven Base was just a small one, and it usually had a few people in it, nothing more. Her and Tyler sat up on the high stools, side by side, and placed their drink orders. He refused to talk until his glass was in front of him. They had both ordered the same thing; whiskey on the rocks.

"How much did that Soccoran pilot tell you?" Tyler asked.

"Deke? Not much," Anna said, figuring that it was pointless to trend deny it. "He told me that you're from a privileged family, went to Theed University, but you disappeared halfway through your final year."

"So you know more about me than you initially let on," he said, taking a rather large sip of his drink. "Anyway, I'lll ignore it for now. Yes, I'm from a family that was held in high regard with the Royal Family, and yes, I did go to Theed University, and yes, I did disappear halfway through my final year. All of that is true. I'll only tell you why I decided to leave.

"Around the time that I was entering my second year, the Battle of Yavin happened. I was never one to sympathize with the Rebellion, as I have been trained to align myself with the Empire. All of Naboo was like that, affiliated with the Empire, not by choice, but by force, essentially. However, the Battle of Yavin opened up a major hole in the Empire, and they were severely weakened. I was very impressed by it, but I could not breathe a word of it or else risk being arrested for treason. I studied in the technological field, with emphasis on data storage, coding, that sort of thing, as you've probably already figured out. However, my parents pushed me to work for the Empire in order to gin status elsewhere in the galaxy. I was never one to rule out the Empire, especially when it came to hiring, but I couldn't get my head around the thought of working for them full-time. I knew of the terrible things they had done and the state that it had forced my home planet under. Even with this, I decided to keep my options open, looking for any sort of work, though the Empire was one of the highest-paying and it was incredibly hard to say no to.

"Halfway through my final year, all of the big places came to the university and did their usual sales pitch. I was near the top of my class, so I was visited by nearly everyone, the Imperials included. I didn't think that someone with my knowledge was such a hot commodity, but they needed me for whatever reason. They were still recovering from the Battle of Yavin at that point, so my guess is that they were trying to bulk up their arsenal. I was pushed toward them by everyone close to me, but I was not sold on where I wanted to go. I wanted to avoid the Empire if at all possible, but they were offering me the highest salary, and I'd be working in a Star Destroyer, which was fairly secure at the time, as the Alliance was still in hiding.

"During a break in the year, I was called to a dinner with the Royal Family. It was more of a meeting, but I went anyway. The queen basically told me to not be intimidated by the Empire, as she knew exactly what was going on at the university; she lived it every year. She said that there was no reason for me to get worried by it all, and to make the right choice for me, the same old story that they tell everyone. Truth was, I was intimidated by the Empire. Even though they had been dealt a huge blow with the destruction of the Death Star, they were still powerful, and the Emperor continued to breathe. They could take whatever they wanted, whenever, and if I said no to them, I wondered what they would do. Would they come after me? I thought about it for a long time, stressing over whether or not to go with them.

"That was when I realized that I as being consumed by it all. I didn't want to live in fear, as I evidently would have to do if I chose to go with the Empire and become one of them, so I disappeared. I completely removed any traces of where I could go. I couldn't leave the planet, as that would cause too much suspicion. The only thing I could think about was burying myself deep within the forests surrounding Theed, never stayed for very long in one particular camp. I only had the basics, and lived solitary, until I met you.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little bit annoyed that you lied to me for so long, but I guess I understand it. When the Imperials captured the two of us, I thought for sure that they were going to kill me, and that they would recognize me as the boy who had disappeared three years ago. Then to hear that you are actually Anna Anara, or Anna Anara-Astin I guess is what you're calling yourself now, that really cut deep. I was in my mood for a while, and the only thing that snapped me out of it was when you returned to Haven Base, your leg looking like a mess, Fable in worse condition behind you. Then seeing you lose that leg… You are very devoted to this cause, and that, I have to respect."

Anna didn't say anything after he was finished. She let the silence hang in the air, thinking about everything he had just said. It all seemed to make sense to her now. She had many more questions for him, but she didn't want to press him.

He pushed his empty glass away from him and jumped down from the bar stool, breaking the silence between them. "One drink," he said. "And now, you know what happened and why I was out there when you arrived on Naboo all those months ago."

She nodded. "Thank you," she said. "For everything. You kept me alive the past six months and I don't think I could've survived, much less have found my sister if it wasn't for you."

"Just take the Empire down," he said with a sly smile. "I know you can do it, I have faith in you, and Fable, and the entire Alliance."

"I won't disappoint," she said. "I promise you."

* * *

 **Finally, some of Tyler's backstory! My win for Cmap this year is going to come right down to the wire (which is weird for me because I haven't gone right to the wire for a couple years now) but it will be completed this month. Then starts the painful process of editing, but that's still a little ways down the road (that's what happens when you still have to finish the 1st draft of another writing project that's 110k words and still not done yet)**  
 **Thank you for reading and support! We'll be seeing Luke again next chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Six Star Destroyers entered the Arbran system, all poised to attack. Staring out of the view screen of the one at the very front, was a certain Dark Jedi, looking out over yellow-green planet that was Arbra. His friends and his family were all on that planet, and he was walking right up to them. They had no idea he was coming and he couldn't transmit anything to them without being heavily questioned. He dropped his gaze as he felt another cold presence enter the room. The triangular-shaped headdress cast a shadow on the wall that he stood beside.

"Supreme Commander, the other Star Destroyers have entered this system as well," Lumiya said curtly, her voice cold. It was clear she hated using his new title.

"Good," he said. "Ensure that the transports and our shuttles are ready. I want to be on the ground when this happens."

"Are you sure that is wise?" she tested. He flexed his fingers, anger already starting to boil beneath his skin. A few weeks ago, it wouldn't have bothered him, but the fact that she was around made it harder and harder to control the emotions of the Dark side.

"I do not want it to be you that kills them," he answered cooly. He didn't care in that moment what her response would be.

She changed the subject. "The Emperor's shuttle has arrived as well," she said. Luke spun quickly, making those who were working around him cower slightly from the movement. The last thing they wanted to witness was another display of force between the two Dark siders.

"What do you mean his shuttle has arrived?" he growled.

"I didn't stutter, did I?" she tested. "He's here to ensure that you do your task as planned, and to make sure that you remain loyal to him."  
"He cannot help the cause. Not in his age."

"That may be, but what's done is done. You cannot change it, and neither can I. I'm just extending the courtesy to you."

Luke didn't say anything more, but just brushed passed her. She turned her head slightly as he walked by her, but snapped it back quickly when she felt pairs of eyes all trained on her.

"None of you had permission to stop your work, did you?" she asked dangerously, and everyone in the room quickly went back to their computer terminals. Under her mask, she smiled, knowing that she had so much power in the room. If they feared Luke, they would come to fear her more. She had done many more cruel things than he had, and she was completely devoted to the Dark side. Luke still had the conflict within him, and it angered her more than anything. _He is, and always will be, utterly weak_ , she thought to herself, and scanned the room before she walked over to the view screen, staring out of it as Luke had been just moments before. She too had worked on Haven Base, way back before the Battle of Endor, when she was still beautiful and able-bodied, before Luke had disfigured her and left her for dead. She knew many of the people who worked in the base, but that didn't matter to her. She held no personal feelings for any of them, not anymore. She was the Dark Lady after all, ruthless and merciless. She just hoped that Luke would be the same way, and this mission would be easier than anything else.

* * *

Luke, meanwhile, was going to the one place he could always find solace, the bay in which his father lay. Vader was still watched daily but the Imperial medics and droids, who were all equally surprised that he had even come out of his coma. It seemed impossible but he had been awake for three days now, and only seemed to be getting stronger with each passing hour.

The guards who stood outside of the bay Vader was in moved aside as Luke strode powerfully past them. It would be foolish to try and stop him. Not that he would listen anyway.

Vader lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. His mask was off, but his face, or what remained of it, was covered in medical equipment trying to keep him alive. His armour had been stripped down to the bare minima, showing all of his prosthesis, and it was true when Obi-wan had told Luke that Vader was more machine than man. Luke had bene slightly taken aback by his father's appearance at first, but now it didn't seemed to phase him. If Vader ever wore the mask again, it would probably look out of place to Luke.

He settled down in a seat next to his father's bed, who turned slightly to recognize his son. Vader had bene fairly quiet in the few days he had been awake, but so had Luke. The younger Skywalker had spilled himself to his father when he was still in his coma, and there wasn't much else that he could say. However, Vader seemed rather talkative today.

"You look troubled," he said, barely glancing over Luke's face from his position. Luke watched his father carefully.

"We've arrived in the Arbran system," he said solemnly. "Haven Base. That's where they are, I can feel it. They're going to attack it tomorrow, once everything is geared up and ready."

"And you do not want to go?" he asked.

Luke shifted in his seat. "You know that I'm only here because I must be," he said.

"Yes, I know," Vader said. His voice was oddly powerful, even after all of the time he spent in critical condition. "He is threatening the life of Anna, and the ones you love. I was in a position similar to yours before, but I was not strong enough to hold off the Dark side. I know that you possess the power to do so, but you cannot lose sight of your goal. I can feel that it's starting to consume you at a rate in which you cannot claw yourself out of. You might not feel it, but the Dark side is powerful, more than you know."

"It's her," Luke said. "Shira Brie, or Lumiya, whatever they call her now. She's been placed her to test my loyalty and to complete my fall. I know that now, but I can't do anything about it and it bothers me."

A dark look crossed Vader's face. "Did I ever tell you about Lumiya?" he asked.

"You don't talk much, so no," Luke said.

"She was my Shadow Hand," he said. "I was the one that found her after her TIE fighter had been shot down. Not long after that, I brought her before the Emperor in order to be considered as on of his Hands. He accepted it, and from there, the rest is fairly straightforward."

"You were the one that saved her?" Luke asked, his voice slow as if he was trying too piece together something his mind.

"She was close to death when I found her," he said. "She's a very strong woman, and even you must admit that."

"Yes, I know," Luke said. "That doesn't make up for all of the things she's done."

"No, it doesn't," Vader agreed. "Just as I will never redeem myself. You, however, you have a chance."

"I can't," Luke said. "Every day I keep living off of the Emperor's life-force, the more the Dark side consumes me. I can't get myself out of it all without losing my own life, and even then, there are so many others that will go after my friends, and Anna."

"They are strong, Luke," he said. "You should know as well as anyone that they can take care of themselves. Anna lost half of her leg, and she's out there now, fighting."

"How did you know that?" Luke challenged, but he instantly regretted his tone as soon as he said it. Vader, on the other hand, had been expecting the question, and he knew that now was the time to tell his son what had happened.

"I saw her," he said. "When I was out, there were places where I would go, not as Vader, but as my old self. They flirted with the edge of death, but I couldn't pull myself out of it until a few days ago when my strength returned to me. She was in the same place, and I spoke to her, about everything that was going on. I saw that she was badly hurt, a deep cut across her knee, but there, pain doesn't bother anyone, it's almost like a vacuum."

"How do you know it was true?" Luke asked.

"Because I seriously doubt that I could've pulled myself out of a coma if it wasn't for a good reason," Vader said. "I needed to have the strength to do so, and that didn't happen until I saw her not long ago. I knew that I had something to fight for, and that I needed to get better."

He did not say anything else about what had happened. Luke didn't need to know that, not yet. When the time came, he would know.

"I need guidance," Luke said. "I don't know how to get out of this. It feels as though he's beaten me."

"He thinks that he has," Vader said. "However, he underestimates some of those that are close to him. That is where he weakness is."

Luke leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms along the armrests. It seemed as the the Emperor had a solid grip on the entire Skywalker family, and that he would not be happy until the rest of the Force-sensitives were wiped out. He winced as he thought about Anna, fighting for her life, and to be overtaken by Lumiya, or Shay, or even worse, himself. He did not want to be the one that ended her life.

 _She is not going to die, stop thinking such horrid thoughts!_ He scolded himself in his mind. Anna was strong, Leia was strong, they were all ready to fight if they had to. He just felt incredibly sorry that he couldn't do anything to help them. It ripped homeport to know that this was all happening because of had never asked for this, yet here he was, commanding the Imperial fleet to destroy the planet and everyone inside of it. It would put an end to the Alliance and would see the Empire reign strong for many more years. He would be the one to aid them in that victory, and he didn't know if he could live with himself if this truly was the end of the Alliance.

Finally, Vader spoke again, ending the silence. "Go," he said. "I will still be here tomorrow when the battle is set to commence. Do not work about me."

"You know I do, father," Luke said, standing up. "But, I am very happy to see that your recovery is going well."

"Yes," he said. "I should be mobile fairly soon."

Luke dropped his gaze as he turned to leave, but something stopped him. "What about the Emperor?" he asked. "Will he approve of you coming back?"

"That is something that you do not need to concern yourself with, son," Vader said. "When the time comes, that will be something between him and I. All you have to focus on now is not falling further into the void that is the Dark side. Go retrieve your beloved, should you truly care for her. Have faith in her that she will survive this, no matter what, and that you will beat whatever fate he's tried to bind you to. You can rewrite it all, should you have the mind. You have the support to do so."

Luke nodded, taking his father's words in. "Thank you," he said softly. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Vader said.

* * *

 **I hope I wrote Vader okay, I didn't want to glorify him too much.**

 **I have 6 more chapters left to write, then an epilogue which will be massive (story + author's note, so it will be long). We're coming up on the conflict, which will be a massive chapter in itself (literally)**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

The base was on high alert, but they had still not picked up any signals of attack. Everything seemed to be fairly normal, and the two Astin sisters had taken the brief moment to warm-up for the oncoming battle. It would be foolish to go into it not knowing how their newly-repaired bodies would handle it, and if they were needed, the comlinks were all set and were ready to be activated at any time. However, the one thing that Anna wasn't expected was for a certain Jedi to be standing in the middle of the training room when they arrived.

"Jaalib is going to help us," Fable said, walking over to him and placing a hand on his arm.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Anna asked, clearly skeptical.

"Do you not believe my intentions are sincere?" he asked.

"No," she said honestly. "After what happened on Redcap I'm sure you can understand if it takes more than three days of being conscious in order to forgive you."

He nodded slowly. "Fair enough," he said, then reached into his robes and pulled out a long, cylindrical object, then tossed it to her. She caught it quickly, turning it over in her hand.

"Peace offering," he said. "I figured that a Jedi should never leave his or her weapon behind."

She ignited it, twirling it around in her hand before she firmly clasped it between her fingers. The two pearl-white blades hummed and the sound filled the room.

"This doesn't change anything," she said, disengaging it and standing straight again. "But thank you."

He nodded and glanced down at Fable. "You be the judge of what happens here," he said. "I'm only out of that cell because of you."

"I was wondering when you would show me gratitude," she said sharply, but it was clear by her smile that followed that she was only joking. "Anna has been trained differently than you and I, so her style will be different. Engage her carefully at first, let her get used to the new leg. Then start ramping it up."

"Very different than my father's training methods," Jaalib said. "Are you sure that she'll be able to handle me?"

"Let me remind you that I took down the sail barges while rescuing Han Solo," Anna growled. "Then fought Luke more than once. I'm sure that whatever you can throw at me, I'll be able to handle."

Jaalib shrugged, taking out his own saber and twisting it around in his hand. "Suit yourself," he said, igniting the red blade that he had sported as a Dark Jedi.

Anna gave him a sharp glare and bent her knees, ready for an attack. However, her lightsaber remain disengaged. He looked at her quizzically, but she remained standing, waiting for him to make the first move. He paced carefully, but her feet remained rooted to the spot. Her eyes followed him carefully, making sure that nothing was about to catch her off guard. He could tell that just with the way she held herself, that she was incredibly confident, even though her last encounter with her lightsaber had been less than pleasant.

Finally, he spun on his heels, hoping to catch her off guard, but was surprised when he met a pearl-white blade. It sparked as the two blades hit each other. He retaliated quickly, but once again was met with a block. He seemed to be slightly put off by it and jumped back as she went in for an attack, narrowly missing his shoulder.

"Not bad," he said. "You definitely have a great technique down, but how is everything else?"

He stepped to the right and swung and her neck, which she blocked easily, crossing her feet one over the other as they stalked each other through their crossed blades. She tried to bring the lower blade up, and nearly succeeded if he didn't leap back and spin on his heel.

"Well done," he commended. "Your leg seems to be working well."

"It's instinctive," she said simply. "I don't even feel like it's any effort to move."

Fable stepped between the two Jedi, signalling them to disengage their blades. Anna switched off the white light of hers, and Jaalib did as well.

"They're probably going to know what happened to you," Fable said, looking at her sister. "They'll be trying to go for that leg as much as possible."

Anna glanced down. From the outside, it didn't look like anything had happened to her. Her boots came up just below her knees, and her black pants kept the rest of her skin covered.

"They can try," she said. "I doubt they'll succeed."

"Do not underestimate them," Jaalib said.

"I fought a squad of stormtroopers not two weeks ago, I think I know what I'm doing," she said, her tone turning sharp as she addressed him. There would always be bad blood between the two, no matter how much they were forced to work together. Anna held grudges for years, and considering that her life would never be the same because of what Jaalib had orchestrated, she didn't think she would ever find it in her heart to forgive him. Still, she would tolerate him, as she supported Fable.

Jaalib seemed to read her body language, and stepped away, knowing to not irritate her further. Fable grabbed her own lightsaber. "Go take a break, Anna," she said. "I'll practice for now."

The younger of the two Astin sisters clipped her saberstaff to her belt, and walked over to the bench that had been set up for them. Behind her, she heard the two lightsabers ignite, but didn't pay any attention to them. Her mind was lost to Luke once again.

He was coming closer, she knew. He had been here before, and he would've been the one to lead the Imperials right to the Alliance. Surely, it would've been against his will, or at least, that's what she was thinking. She didn't know much about Lumiya, or as she had been known before, Shira Brie, but from what she had gathered, the Dark Lady of the Sith was not someone that you wanted to cross paths with. She was dangerous, deadly, and fearsome. She was part of the trio that hand been ripping the galaxy apart, and as far as Anna knew, she needed to be taken out, Shay as well.

 _General_ , she thought to herself with a sour look on her face. She hardly thought of him as a Major, let alone the commander of the entire Imperial fleet. She doubted that she would see him if and when his fleet arrived. After all, he was always one to run from danger and not face it head-on. He much preferred to be the one giving orders to those below him.

Behind her, she heard the all-to familiar sound of lightsabers clashing. Fable had healed nicely from her wounds and was back to her old self again, nimble and stealthy, but strong. Anna on the other had, was slightly behind in her recovery, her leg still feeling more of a machine rather than an actual part. She still walked a bit awkwardly, but she was slowly starting to regain her movement that she had once had before her injury. If she wanted to, she was sure that her saberstaff and her could be the near-unstoppable team that they had once been.

Fable jumped back as Jaalib took a rather large swing at her, and gave him a sly smirk. "Save your true energy for the oncoming battle," she said.

Anna turned on her heel. "He's helping us?" she asked, refusing to look at the former Dark Jedi.

"I saved both of your lives and I've renounced the Dark side," he said.

"You'll understand if I have a hard time believing you, I'm sure," Anna said cooly. "Who gave you clearance?"

"Leia," he said simply. "The Alliance is going to be hopelessly outnumbered, and I'm sure that fighting two very powerful Force users will not be easy, even for you two. Another one will help to even the odds."

"And why should I trust that you won't turn against us?" she asked, her voice still edgy.

"I have fallen out of the Emperor's good graces, just as my father did," he said. "He also separated me from the love of my life. That's surely something you could relate to."

Fable disengaged her lightsaber and placed her arm on Jaalib's elbow. "I trust him, Anna," she said. "Please, find it in your heart to do so as well."  
Anna turned away from the two of them, not saying a word. Her wariness of Jaalib was well-known, and she didn't try to hide it. The psychological wounds that had been inflicted by the mission were going to take a much longer time to heal than those that were physical. She settled down on the bench, watching as the two re-engaged in their training battle, and her mind drifted to Luke, as it did often.

He was probably coming for them now. She didn't even know what to say if she were to stand face to face with him as she had two weeks ago. Surely, he had known about her injury. It was common knowledge by now, and he would've known that she was awake. Then she remembered, Vader was on his ship. Did he tell Luke about the encounter with her in the unnamed state, when they were neither dead nor completely alive, but had the choice to return or not? It must've been a similar experience to what Fable had gone through.

The other of the two Astin sisters had told Anna about what had happened after the fall. Anna leaned her head back until it hit the wall, and envisioned the scene in her mind.

 _Fable had fallen from the cliff, and that was when Anna had passed out, sliding into her coma. Fable too had backed out, but she had been awoken not soon afterward but the rain lashing her face, and at that moment, all she knew was pain. It felt as though her entire body was on fire, though there was an absence of all feeling from her waist done The taste of blood was strong in her mouth, and every muscle she tried to move was met with a wave of nausea. She had fallen over sixty feet, and she was amazed that she had survived the fall, but in that moment, she had felt death coming to her quickly, ready to take her into the realm where no choice to go back existed. However, it was in that moment when she had heard a familiar voice calling her name. There had been a colourless shadow, save for the fiery red hair that settled along the figure's shoulders. That was the woman that Anna had never known, and she never would. It was her mother._

Fable had not spoken of what their mother had said, just as Anna had said nothing about her encounter with Anakin Skywalker. Those conversations were to remain as part of them, never to be shared or replayed but only in their minds. Anna still vividly remembered Fable tipping over the edge of the cliff, after fighting wildly. Anna had not seen her sister, but she had remembered the cool feeling that had surrounded Fable, as if she was bathing int he Dark side and channeling her anger toward the man she loved. Then to watch her fall over the cliff was something that no one should ever have to witness. Anna was certain that she had seen the last glimpse of her sister, having met her and known her for only two weeks before she was snatched away again. However, Jaalib had saved her life. Even though Anna did not like the former Dark Jedi in the slightest, to see that he still had the guts to save the life of the one he claimed to loved, it proved to Anna that his feelings were genuine. For that, she respected him, but that was about all of her positive feelings that she felt towards him.

She knew that she would have to deal with that when it come to Luke. No matter how badly she wanted to ignore it, she would be foolish to think that they would not have to engage in anything. There would be a battle, most of it would be for show, but they would definitely be in the heart of the conflict. She looked up at the rocky ceiling of the room, knowing that he was out there now, probably in the system. If he was, he was playing it very safe, as they had not picked up any signs of Imperial activity on their scanners. However, they were all ready for an attack, as the spies were very vigilant, and their information was true. If the Imperials were to attack now, everyone would be ready for the battle. The base was on high alert, and those who would be fighting on the ground were the only ones that were allowed to wander the base.

That included a certain dark-haired man that stood in the open doorway of the training room, leaning against the frame and watching as Fable and Jaalib practiced. Anna smiled at him and motioned for him to come in. He pushed himself off of the door, walking casually over to her, wincing whenever he heard the blades clash.

"Got out of practice, did ya?" he asked, settling down next to her.

"Nice to see you again, Han," she said with a smile. "It's been a while."

"You're tellin' me," he said. "How are you feelin'?"

"Oh you know, like I just lost half of my leg," she said with a smile. "In all seriousness, I feel fine. A bit stiff though, I still walk awkwardly, but I haven't gotten used to how this thing works yet."

"You'll get there," he said.

Han looked no different from when she had seen him last. He was still the same old, carefree, but above all, casual.

"How did you get out of all of this?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be on the _Falcon_ offering air support?"

"Yeah, I'll be heading out there with Chewie pretty soon," he said, absent-mindedly scratching the back of his neck. "Don't tell my wife that I made this detour, would ya?"

"Your secret is safe with me," she said.

"I just wanted to come see you," he said. "We haven't had a chance to talk ever since you came back."

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head. "So, you're married?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yep," he said. "Leia's got one on the way, too."

"Because the Maker knows that we need more Solo's running around the galaxy," Anna said.

"Won't hurt, will it?" he asked. The question was rhetorical, but Anna just shrugged.

"I don't know, knowing you, I'm sure that he or she will be a wonderful addition to the cause," she said. "Let's just hope that your attitude won't pass on."

"It's all part of my charm," he said with a sideways smirk.

"Sure."

Jaalib and Fable stopped at that moment, taking a bit of a break. "Have you already gone and done this?" Han asked.

"Yeah," she said. "It's just the same as I remember it."

"Just like flying," he said.

"Whatever you say," she said.

"Anyway," he said, standing up. "I should probably get back to the _Falcon_ before Leia finds out that I'm not there. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Same to you," she said, and he nodded. Fable watched as he walked out of the training, room, then shot her gaze over to Anna.

"What'd he want?" she asked.

"Just wanted to talk," Anna said. "We were friends way back six months ago."

"I see that," Fable said. "He hasn't changed much, you know."

"Right," Anna said. "He and I were in the same profession for a while, that's how we bonded."

Fable nodded, and walked over to the bench. "You ready to go again?" she asked.

Anna glanced down at her leg before she looked back up. "What do you think?"

"You look like you've got the basics down," Jaalib sounded off, and Anna shot him a threatening glare.

"Fable," she said, not breaking eye contact with Jaalib. "Do you think I need to go for another round?"

"I personally think you're fine," Fable said, looking nervously between Anna and Jaalib. "It's up to you."

Anna finally broke her stare, and her gaze softened as her dark eyes settled on her sister again. "I think I'm okay," she said. "I really hope that I don't have to use this thing tomorrow, or whenever they plan on attacking."

"You and me both," Fable sat, sitting down. Jaalib let the two Astin sisters have their space, and walked to the opposite end of the room to rest. "At the same time, I just want this to be over. It only seems fitting that you help me get my love back, and I'll help you get yours."

"I hardly helped you," Anna said dismissively. "We don't even like each other."

"That may be, but you kept me grounded when we were on the _Prodigal_ ," Fable said. "Considering everything that you'd been through these past several months, it can't have been easy for you to get up and go on a mission, then to lose half of your leg…"

"And nearly shatter my friendship with Tyler," Anna said.

Fable nodded. "He's seemed to have come around a bit."

"He has, but only a bit. He's still a bit wary of talking to me, he still doesn't trust me like he used to. I don't think he ever will."

"Have faith in him. After all this is over, we will all go back to living our lives as we once did."

* * *

 **I was out of internet connection for a few days while I was out in the countryside, but I did manage to write two other chapters (one is massive, literally, 8k words), and they'll be going up in the next couple of days.**  
 **There are only five chapters left after this one, not including the epilogue, so we're getting close to the end!**


	20. Chapter 20

The shuttles were ready. Troops all followed in formation to their transporters, ready for the assault that was about to begin. It was night on Arbra, and the element of surprise would be on the side of the Imperials. Overseeing it all was General Shay, patrolling the corridors of the command centre, ensuring that everything was running smoothly. They could not afford to screw up anything on this mission. This was the one that would end the Alliance, and eliminate the Jedi.

Not far from the Star Destroyer that Shay commanded was a familiar lambda-class shuttle, with a very important figure housed inside. The Emperor had insisted in witnessing the destruction of the Alliance, and feeling the rest of the Light fade from his apprentice as Anna Anara-Astin drew her last breath. There was one thing that he had not been expecting, and that was the fact that Darth Vader would also be striding into battle. His strength and returned to him quickly, and it had been unprecedented. To see him up and walking around was something that no one had ever expected to see again, and to have him stride confidently into battle was even more of a shock.

However, to Luke, seeing his father back in his old armour, with the mask covering his face, it seemed unreal. He had grown so used to seeing his father in his true form, more machine than man. Now, he was back to the Dark Lord that he had once been. However, the mentality of the man behind the mask was completely different. He wanted nothing to do with the name that the Emperor had given to him, not in the least. As far as Vader knew, he was back in a place that he hadn't been in over twenty years, back when the Jedi Order still prevailed and the Jedi were not scarce, or near-extinct as they were now.

Luke sat in his shuttle, alone, waiting for the troops that would fly it to come up the entrance ramp. He was leaning against the wall, staring out of the view screen to the green-gold surface of the planet below. Anna was there, Leia was there, Han was there. All of his friends were on that planet, and he was dreading every second that passed. He wanted to believe that they were prepared, but he couldn't show it. Questions were already being raised about him even going on this mission, for fear that he might turn and fight against them, but the Emperor had allowed it. At least Shay would stay on the Star Destroyer, and not get in his way. Then he would only have to deal with Lumiya instead of both of them. He didn't worry about his father, not in the slightest.

He wasn't ready for this confrontation. He always thought that he would have more time to prepare. That wasn't the part that was scaring him though, it was the fact that he was so calm. He was marching right into the Alliance, and would be commanded to strike down the individuals that he had once called his friends and allies. A few months ago, he would never have thought to go into a battle such as this one, yet now, he was accepting it as a reality. The Dark side's power was truly inescapable, and he worried for those who he would soon face. His emotions, even though he was calm now, would spring free at any given moment, he knew, and at that point there would be no stopping him.

He turned as four stormtroopers walked up the ramp. "The Dark Lady's shuttle has left," one of them said.

"Let's get going then," Luke said. "Time is of the essence."

"Yes sir," the stormtrooper said, and Luke brushed past them, not saying another word. Surely whatever was to happen would be out of his control. He could not oversee everyone, and he knew that the loss of life on both sides would be inevitable. He could only hope that the ones he cared about the most got out before anything happened.

Luke's head shot up as the blaring alarm of a failing shuttle echoed throughout. He jumped up, racing toward the cockpit, and nearly tripped as the access ramp began to lower. He regained his balance, pushing his hair back and stranding straight.

"You didn't think that I would let you go peacefully, did you?" A sharp voice that only the General could have sliced through the shuttle. His head poked out of the ramp as he walked, troops flanking him on all sides.

"What the hell is this?" Luke growled, pushing his cape back to try and appear more powerful. Shay just scoffed.

"Your ties to this base, to everyone down there, were not gone unnoticed," Shay said. "Someone tipped them off. The Dark Lady's shuttle just came under fire."

"And you think it was me?" Luke asked, bewildered that Shay had the nerve to even make an allegation such as this.

"Who else would it have been?" Shay asked. "Surely your feelings for her are not clouding your judgement."

"Do not test me, General," Luke warned.

"You do not scare me," Shay said confidently. "I have seen you fall in the last two weeks, ever since we got a signal on her. Ever since you saw her again, you've been descending further and further down into nothingness, and your faith is in question. You've shown me that even though you carry a tremendous power, your emotions rule you, and it makes you _weak_."

Shay made sure the spit the last word, and Luke was surprised where this newfound confidence had come from. Not a day ago, Shay had been cowering in fear as Lumiya and Luke had reached for their weapons in a threatening motion. Now, Shay had the nerve to halt the shuttle.

"So what are you going to do?" Luke asked. "You cannot defeat me, no matter how weak you think I am."

"That may be true," Shay said. "You and I, matched head-to-head, would be a disaster." The stormtroopers behind him began to walk up the ramp, surrounding Luke. "However, you and I, with the assistance of ten stormtroopers to even the odds, maybe not to disastrous."

"What are you implying, Shay?" Luke snapped. "Was that a threat?"

Shay turned on his heel, ready to walk down the ramp. "If the Emperor was not here, I would execute you right here in the docking bay," he said darkly. "However, I seriously doubt that the Emperor wouldn't take the news that his prize was murdered."

"I am no one's prize," Luke declared. "You are delusional, Shay. You tell me that my feelings rule me, but what is all of this? Why are you here? Because of Anna, correct."

"I hardly have any interest in her anymore," Shay said. "Once you chase someone across the galaxy for a few months, you realize that those nights you spent with them are not worth deploying all of these troops to get another night."

"But you'd do it," Luke said.

"Do not act like you know me, Skywalker," Shay turned quickly, advancing on Luke, but the Dark Jedi did not move. He felt no fear from Shay, more like surprise.

"I know that you hurt her," Luke said. "You hurt her in a way that will never be repaired."

Shay drew himself back, still trying to hold onto some of his honour. "I promised myself that I would find her and make her suffer," he growled.  
"For what?" Luke asked. "If anything, you are the one who owes her."

"Hardly," Shay scoffed. "You really think that she was a good little smuggler for me? She stole, and she was deceitful. I'm sure she made you think that she's a saint, didn't she."

"That is not something you need to know," Luke said. "You act like you know her."

"Oh, and you do?" Shay asked, her voice completely sarcastic as he began to pace around the shuttle. Luke stepped forward, and was surprised to feel several pairs of hands wrap around his arms, holding him back. He tried to shake them off, but the stormtroopers held tight.  
"What do you think you're doing?" Luke snarled.

"You have no more power here," Shay said. "Ex-Supreme Commander."

Luke fought with the stromtroopers, wanted nothing more than to wring Shay's neck, and it took six of them to hold him back and get him into binders.

"And what clearance do you have?" Luke growled as they snapped around his wrists.

"The Emperor was rather displeased when he found out that you had been withholding information from us," Shay said. "Furthermore, he was offset by the fact that Vader made such a speedy recovery. Don't you think that it's just a tad suspicious that you see him daily, and he started coming back when he was moved onto your Star Destroyer?"

"He was in a coma, Shay," Luke said. "The Force, neither the Light nor the Dark, and bring someone out of something like that, and certainly not that fast."

"I do not care about that," Shay growled. "The fact is, you have much more evidence piled against you than for you, and let's be honest, did you really think that you had any power at all."

Luke wanted nothing more than to reach out and grip Shay's neck, but it was impossible to move, not with all of the stormtroopers around, and not in binders.

"You are making a deadly mistake, Shay," Luke warned. "And I promise you that you will not live to see the inside of a Coruscanti bar ever again."

"We'll see about that," Shay said with a sly smile. "Take him away, make sure he's locked where he can't get out."

"Sir, what of the Dark Lady?" one of the stormtroopers asked.

"Leave her," Shay said. "I have dealt with these damn Force users for far too long. It's about time that the true soldiers take over, ones that do not have a clouded mind."

"You are a fool, Shay," Luke spat as he was pushed forward, feeling multiple blasters digging into his back. "You are giving the battle away. You are dooming the Empire."

"No," Shay said as Luke was brought to stand beside him. "I am saving it."

With that, he signalled to his troops to send Luke away, and as they all filed out of the shuttle, the General smiled to himself. To finally have control over something again, it felt wonderful. If the fate of the Empire rested on two people, then it was a battle they would lose every time. Now, they had a fighting chance to win this thing.

He turned to the few troops left at the bottom of the ramp. "Ensure that the transporters are ready to launch," he said.

"Yes sir," one of the troops said from behind him. Shay reached into his pocket a pulled out a circular object, staring at it for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"Was the Dark Lady's ship fitted with explosives as requested?" he asked darkly.

"Yes sir," one of the troops said.

"Wonderful," Shay said, turning the detonator over in his hand. "And the same for Vader's ship."

"Yes sir," the trooper said again.

Shay nodded. "That is all," he said. "Go now. We have a battle to win."

The Force users would be nearly eliminated after this battle. As for Luke, Shay had something very special planned. While he planned to make Lumiya and Vader's deaths appear accidental, as if they were casualties in battle, taken down by the Rebel ships. However, Luke would suffer. Shay's vendetta ran deeper that the Dark Jedi realized. It was not just pursuing Anna that had sparked the tension between the two. There was something else.

With one last sly smile, he descended the ramp of Luke's shuttle. "Dispose of it," he ordered.

* * *

 **So yeah. Shay's kind of an ass.**  
 **Next chapter is a monster (over 8k words!) so brace yourselves.**


	21. Chapter 21

When signs of the battle has first broken out, Anna and Tyler were in the bar yet again, talking about nothing in particular. That's when the alarm bells had gone off, sounding off throughout the caverns and tunnels of the base. The pilots had all engaged, and Anna caught the last glimpse of the _Falcon_ as it took off, ready to fight. She was to remain on the ground, and even though nothing had landed yet, people were racing through the halls, trying to lock everything down. Tyler stayed close to her, his own blaster in his hand, ready if he needed to use it. Anna gripped her saberstaff, desperately trying to find Fable in the sea of people that flooded through the tunnels of the base.

"I'm sure she's fine," Tyler said, sensing Anna's anxiety. "She can take care of herself."

"It's not her I'm worried about," she said. "It's the one she's with."

"Who?" Tyler asked. "Jaalib."

Anna nodded. "I don't trust him," she said simply as they reached the training room where Fable and Jaalib had last been seen. "Not after what happened on Redcap. Who's to say that he won't turn against us."

"He's renounced the Dark side," Tyler said. "That doesn't seem like an easy thing to do."

"True," Anna agreed. "But he still is responsible for Fable going over the edge of that cliff and nearly dying."

"Then if anything, she shouldn't trust him," Tyler pointed out.

"She's in love, love blinds you from seeing the true intentions in people," Anna grumbled.

"Is that why you're rushing to see who lands first?" Tyler asked, his voice suddenly challenging.

"No," she said sharply, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "Although, something isn't right, I can feel it through the Force. Something up there is not going according to plan."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I can't place it, but something's off."

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the distractions. Though she could feel that something was wrong, she could not think about it right now.

She grabbed her comlink. "Has anyone landed on the base?" she asked.

"No," Leia's voice was surprisingly calm. "Our pilot are doing an outstanding job of keeping everyone at bay. Stand by, even though they're trying their best there might be one transport ship that gets through."

"Where's Fable?" Anna asked.

"Is she not int he training room?" Leia asked.

Anna glanced around. The room was dark, and she couldn't feel her sister's presence anywhere in the room, or Jaalibs for that matter. "No," she said. "They're both gone."

"That's not good," Leia said. "I'll try to track them down. In the meantime, keep yourselves safe and make sure that the lockdown goes as smoothly as possible."

Anna threw her head back and dropped her arms to her sides. "What's going on?" Tyler asked.

"No one knows where Fable or Jaalib are," Anna said. "We need to find them."

"Leia's orders were clear," Tyler said, grabbing Anna's shoulder.

"She's the last of my living family," Anna snapped. "She's the only thing I have left."

"Do you really believe that?" Tyler asked, his voice suddenly soft. Anna gave him a confused look.

"It's the truth," she said. "I know it is."

"She may be your blood, yes," Tyler said. "However, you do not realize that there are others out there looking out for you. Leia thinks of you like a sister. I'm sure that from what I've seen of Han, he thinks in the same way." He trailed off.

"What?" she asked, grabbing his elbow.

"You're… I care a great deal about you Anna," he said. "I know that your heart belongs to Luke, and as much as I may not approve, you did fall in love with him when he was still Light, and he now has the possibility to come back. I love you…" He stopped, while she just remained frozen on the spot. "But during these past few weeks, I've had a chance to reflect on it all. I thought I was in love with you romantically. I really did, but I'm not. You are like a sister to me, Anna, which is what a realized when you were in a coma, and there were a few days when I worried that you would never wake up again. It was during those times when I talked with Leia and Han, and I realized that the feelings I had for you were fabricated, mostly because I wanted to protect you from him. When I saw him on Coruscant, I thought that he was gone, but I don't know the Force. I know that you still believe in him, and I want to help you get him back."

At that moment, the sound of frantic footsteps grew close to the door, and they both turned quickly. Anna breathed easy as she saw a familiar redhead enter the room.

"Thank the Maker you're all right!" she breathed.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Fable said. "Jaalib got a transmission from the Empire. It's something you need to see."

Anna visibly stiffened as Jaalib's name was mentioned, by Tyler rubbed her back, trying reassure her. "Just see what he has to say," Tyler said. "You told me that something was wrong didn't you?"

Anna nodded, and looked up at her sister. "Do you feel it too?" she asked.

Fable shrugged. "In the heat of a battle, I can't tell much," she said, retreating from the doorway as Anna and Tyler walked out. "Why? Do you feel something."

"Something isn't right with Luke," Anna said. "From what I can very faintly tell through the Force, he's distressed."

Fable paused for a moment, as though she too was reaching out through the Force to confirm Anna's suspicions. When she came back, she just shrugged again.

"You're more in tune with him," Fable said. "I can't even find him in the Force."

"His spirit is very faint," Anna said, and her voice carried a worried tone. "I'm afraid that he's in danger."

"He's not out on the battlefield," Fable said. "From what Deke has told me, the only ships that have come from the Star Destroyers are Lumiya's shuttle and several stormtrooper transports. Surely they wouldn't hurt one of their own."

"I doubt it," Anna said. "But I haven't felt distress like this through the Force ever before. It must be bad, whatever is going on."

They quickly made it through the hallways to the main control centre, where Jaalib good next to Leia. Anna gritted her teeth, still not overly-thrilled that Jaalib had just been accepted into the ranks so easily. However, she knew that it was a reality that she must accept. He looked up as she stopped next to him.

"This may be a bit difficult for you to see," Jaalib said.

"I am not weak Jaalib, I want to know what's going on," she said sternly. "Don't waste my time."

Leia sat back in her seat, and Anna turned to look down at the former princess. "General Adam Shay has gone mad," Leia said. "He has made secret plans to eliminate the three Force warriors that serve the Empire, at least, in this battle. He has captured Luke, and no one knows where he's gone. No one is speaking."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked. "Palpatine would never have approved something like this."

"Shay is going behind Palpatine's back," Jaalib said. "The transmission was from a trusted source by both myself and the Alliance, and I can say with utmost certainty that it's true."

"How?" Anna asked.

"That we're not sure of," Leia said.

"What's the plan, then?" Anna asked, her eyes wide and her voice more and more carrying a stressed tone.

"There is no plan," Leia said, dropping her gaze. "If Vader is gone, and Luke is captured by his own people, then there is nothing we can do. Unfortunately, it's over."

"It hasn't even begun," Tyler snapped. "What was the point of this battle, then?"

"We did not expect Shay to go against his own," Leia said sharply, matching his tone of voice. "The fact that he managed to get the rest of the fleet on his side is surprising."

"He has a way with words," Anna said. "What about Lumiya?"

"Her shuttle is still fighting," Leia said. "She's completely overwhelmed, and I think that she won't last long. Not by herself. It's all a plan by Shay to get rid of the Force users, and I don't know why. His motive must have been building up for a while now, he was just looking for an excuse to act on it."

"I'm going up there," Anna said firmly. "If he's in danger, then I need to get him out of there."

"No," Leia said, standing up. "That is suicide."

"I cannot just sit here while Luke may or may not be alive," Anna spat. It was nothing personal against Leia, but Luke was the man she loved after all, and she wanted to do whatever she could to get him back.

"Even if you managed to get past that blockade of Star Destroyers, how do you know which one he's on?" Leia asked. "Or where he even is?"

"Leia, the Force works in strange ways," Anna said, returning her voice to the normal, even tone that she usually spoke with. "I can feel whenever he's near, and if I can get to Shay, I can end it all."

Fable moved and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I will fight with you," she said. "You were there to bring the man that I love back, I can only return the favour for you."

Tyler too moved forward to stand beside her. "I will help you too," he said.

Leia ran her hands down her face, and stared up and her console as if she was searching for answers. "You do not have ship," she said. "Deke has the _Prodigal_."

"We do not need a large ship," Anna said. "Do you have any X-wings?"

"Of course, but—"

"Perfect, we'll use those."

"You will not be concealed. They will spot you straight away."

"I am the master of stealth, Leia. Besides, don't you think that they would recognize the Prodigal as well?"

Leia glanced over her shoulder at Jaalib who turned away. "I would normally be with you on this, Fable, but Leia is right," he said. "This mission is suicide. They'll shoot you down before you get close to them."

"We at least need to try," she said. "I don't want to look back on this and say that there was something that we could've done. If I die doing it, so be it. Many others have fallen before me."

Jaalib ended the argument there, seeing that she had made up her mind, and her stubbornness would not allow her to move on it. He sighed and nodded to Leia. "They will not do anything unless you let them go," he said. "I can see that they're minds are made up."

The former princess settled back down into her chair and placed her head in her hands. It was clear that she was really struggling with this sort of a decision. Even though Luke was her brother, was it worth risking some of her best fighters to same him?

"Fine," she finally said. "Bring him back, and take Adam Shay out."

"You have my word that we will," Anna said. "I will get answers as to why he did this, and I will bring Luke back to us." _And take the Emperor out with him_ , she thought, but didn't say it. It should go without saying that the Emperor was long past his time. If she was going in, she was going to end it tonight.

"Gear up," Anna said, seeing that both Tyler and Fable were looking as her for direction.

 _The Empire would fall tonight_ , she vowed to herself.

* * *

Luke spun on his heel, slamming his body against the wall of the tiny cell he was imprisoned in. There was barely enough room to sit, and his hand were still locked in binders in front of him. It was dark, with the only light coming in through a high light source embedded in the ceiling. He was frantic, trying to find a way out, but the blast door would not move no matter how hard he channeled the Force, and he had no idea where he was. After he had been taken off of his shuttle, he remembered a sudden wave of pan hit him from the back of his head, and he had blacked out, waking up in this tiny holding cell.

Shay had gone mad, surely. He stood no chance of winning the battle now, which Luke did not care about, but he had no idea what awaited him when the General returned. Even if Shay's hatred was targeted toward Force users, this was personal. If it wasn't, he never would have taken Luke off of the shuttle and locked him in a tiny room. However, Luke needed to get out, from whatever way possible. He could feel the Dark side tightening its grip on him with every passing minute. He felt as if all of senses were on edge, hypersensitive to everything around him.  
Surely the Emperor would not back the General on something like this. It would cost him the best warriors that the Empire had, but Shay didn't seem to care. His personal agenda had trumped everything, whether to not it was to the Emperor's knowledge, Luke did not know.

Through the Force, he could still feel that his father and Lumiya were alive. Even though he didn't like her in the least, if she died, Shay would win. She needed to stay alive, and if they could set aside their differences for a few moments, then Luke and her would be able to take the General down. However, considering her stubbornness, he doubted that she would listen, not even to save her own life. He sighed, looking up at the high ceiling of the cell, wishing for some miracle to break him out of the cell. He didn't know if he was aboard a Star Destroyer, or on a shuttle, or even on the Arbran surface. It was killing him to have his connection to the Force cut off by the binders, but he could still feel presences through it, though they were faint. He placed his head in his hands, at a complete loss of what to do. He felt utter hopelessness, even though he hoped that something about Shay's betrayal came into the hands of the Rebellion. As far as he was concerned, they were both fighting a common enemy now. He slid down the wall, forcing himself into an uncomfortable sitting position, the walls closing in around him. There was nothing left that he could do but wait, and hope.

* * *

The two Astin sisters and Tyler walked briskly through the hallways, coming up with a quick plan. While the two girls spoke with such confidence, Tyler couldn't help but think that he had made a grave mistake coming with them. He couldn't offer them much, he wasn't a soldier. He could barely aim a blaster, and had only learned in the past week while Anna was still in her coma. He was hardly ready total on the General of the Empire. However, he could not afford to look fearful, and he fully trusted Anna and Fable.

"Alright Tyler, you know how to fly one of these things?" Fable asked.

"I'm not outstanding at it, but yeah," he said.

"Good," Fable said. "There are droids loaded into each one, and they should all be warmed up, so all we have to do is get close enough to the Star Destroyer. They'll all be on watch for anything coming at them, so you have to stay sharp and make sure your comlink is active. We'll figure our plan of attack once we're out there."

Anna climbed into one of the X-wings, and smiled as familiar beeping sounded behind her. She turned to see the blue and white astromech droid that had accompanied her on multiple missions. "Hello, Artoo," she said. "Let's go get your master back, shall we?"

The droid responded with frantic beeping, and she prepared the ship to take off. "Alright Fable, you lead the way," Anna said into her comlink.  
"Okay," Fable responded. "Just stay close, everyone. This will not be easy, so we all have to be focused."

The three X-wings all flew out of the ship in harmony, Fable leading the way, with Anna and Tyler following close behind. As they exited the atmosphere of Arbra, only then did they see the battle that was going on in the meantime.

Imperial ships were hardly anywhere to be seen, aside from a few TIE fighters and several Star Destroyers, however, they were not firing, and the TIE fighters seemed to be fighting lazily, as if they weren't really engaged in the battle at all. However, there was one Lambda shuttle that was being relentlessly pursued by several fighters, including a certain YT-1300 light freighter.

"Deke seems to be doing a hell of a job trying to bring that shuttle down," Tyler said, and Anna could feel her sister's pride. "I wonder who that is."

"Lumiya, most definitely," Anna said. "Shay's trying to make her death look like an accident, a casualty in battle. That's why he's not sending out any fighters."

"Then this is our window," Fable said. "Bank off, see if you can sense where Luke is, Anna. You have a stronger connection to him than I do."

"Copy," Anna said, and the three X-wings all peeled off from the battle, while Anna tried to concentrate on digging through the Force, trying to unearth wherever Luke may be.

"Third Star Destroyer," she finally said. "Right in the middle of the fray, of course."

"Shay obviously wants to keep him alive for something," Fable said, and the though of it made Anna's skin crawl. Luke would be able to defeat Shay easily if they were matched one-on-one, but Shay was never a fair fighter; never had been, never will be.

"Come up from underneath," Fable said. "Make sure your weapons are ready. If and when they start firing, you need to be sharp."

The three began to fly underneath, and were met instantly with a barrage of canon fire. "Take these out as best as you can," Fable said. "The other Star Destroyers will not engage, not with three X-wings."

It had been a long time since Anna had been behind the cannon of a ship in the heat of battle. It had dated back to her days as a smuggler, as the memory was blurry. However, this was no time to be getting caught up in memories. She needed to have a clear mind, at least, as clear as she could make it considering the circumstances. She narrowed her eyes as she fired at the cannons, smiling to herself as she struck one of them down. Even though she hadn't flown very much in the last few months, it was coming back to her easily, and soon, she felt as though she was her old self again, flying freely with no boundaries like she once had, commanding the situation.

"There's an open space up on the side of the ship," Fable said. "We'll only have one shot, so once you're clear, get up there and head right for it. With any luck, we'll be able to get there."

Anna looked up, seeing that there was in fact a space to enter the docking bay, but she was slightly suspicious of it. "Are you sure that it's not a trap?" she asked, clearly skeptical.

"No," Fable said honestly. "But we have to try, don't we?"

"This truly is suicide," Tyler said.

"You volunteered to come with us, Tyler," Fable said sharply. "We will be fine, I promise you."

Fable pulled up first. "All of you, go at once," she said. "Maybe we can overwhelm them if it is a trap."

Anna and Tyler followed her, and hissed her annoyance when she felt one of the cannon's blasts clip her X-wing. "I hope that's not going to be too bad," she said to herself, but she could hear Fable snickering on the other end.

"Something you want to say?" Anna asked.

"Not really," Fable said. "Is Artoo okay?"

The little droid beeped from behind the cockpit. "Yes, he's fine," Anna said. "I don't think I caused too much damage."

"Let's hope not, we still have to fly home," Fable said. "Come on, there isn't any time to waste."

Fable reached the space first, pulling up the ship as hard as she could coming to a complete stop in the empty docking bay. Anna and Tyler had more graceful approaches, and were quickly out of the ships before Fable had even pushed up the roof to the cockpit of her own.

"You stay hidden, Artoo," Ann called up to him. "We'll be back shortly with your master."

Artoo gave her a few short beeps, and she smiled at him before she pulled her saberstaff out from her cloak. "Any signs of stormtroopers?" she asked as she reached Fable and Tyler.

"None," Fable said. "It's like they've all disappeared. There's no officer in sight."

"Shay must've pulled them back," Tyler said. "This might have been a trap."

"Then keep your blaster up," Fable said, pulling her own lightsaber from her belt. "Can you feel him, Anna?"

"Yes, but he's very weak," she said. "He's slipping away every moment. We need to find him fast."

* * *

Luke was slumped awkwardly against the walls of his cell, while a figure stood in the small doorway. His arms ached and there was blood running from his nose, but he didn't seem to care. His yellow-tinged eyes bore into the figure, but he made no movement.

"Even now, you are weak," the voice of the General rang out in the small cell, and Luke only saw his boot rise above his face before pain exploded in his nose and chin. He shoved the General away, but didn't do anything else to retaliate.

"Why won't you fight back?" Shay cried. "Do I need to get your dearly beloved here?"

Luke's head shot up. He could feel Anna's presence, his force connection was weak but it was there. Shay leaned down and grabbed Luke's face in his gloved hand.

"Where is she, Skywalker?" he asked threateningly.

"If you think I'll tell you, you're delusional," Luke said between breaths. Shay's assault had been quick at first, and Luke had no time to defend himself. Now, there was nothing he could do. He did not have the Force, and he could barely even stand. He could feel that there was something broken in his leg, but he didn't move too much in order not to draw attention to it. If Shay spotted any weaknesses, he would most definitely take advance of it. Shay let go of Luke's face, pushing him away forcefully as he did so.

"If you aren't going to tell me, then maybe getting rid of one of the two Force users will get you to say something," Shay said. "Lumiya first? I'll make sure her death is painless."

"I do not care for her," Luke said. "She is nothing but an evil woman, set on bringing those around her down and gathering more and more power. Do you really think that I'd care if you killed her?"

However, the truth was, Luke did still care for her, in the depths of his heart that had not been tapped for years. He wanted to bring Lumiya back to the Light side, to show her a better way to live. He believe that she could come off of the Dark path, just as he planned to do. He watched cautiously as Shay turned the cylindrical object in his hand that was none other than a detonator.

"You're going to explode her shuttle as make it look like the Rebels defeated her," Luke said, realization dawning on him.

"That took you quite a long time to figure out," Shay spat. "Last chance, where is Anna Anara-Astin?"

Luke lifted his arms, showing his binders to Shay. "These cut me off from the Force," he said. "I could've told you exactly where she was if you had not put me in these. Now, I can barely feel her. I only know hat she is alive."

"That was not the answer I was looking for, Skywalker," Shay growled, and pressed the button on the top of the detonator, flattening it against the top.

Out above the surface, right near one of the Star Destroyers, the shuttle that housed one of the great Force warriors exploded. Across the Force, her death was felt, by both the Light and the Dark.

Anna and Fable stopped dead in their tracks, knowing that Shay had claimed his first of the Force users he was out to destroy.

Luke winced as the death ripped through him even though he was cut off from the Force. He felt as she was disintegrated into nothingness, as if she had never existed in the first place.

Even Leia sat back in her chair, and Jaalib glanced down at her. "I never thought I'd see the day when we would feel sympathy for her," he said softly.

However, there was one Force-sensitive individual that was not sad, but that was angry. The Emperor rose from his seat in his shuttle, knowing instantly that something was wrong. The disturbance in the Force was too great. He closed his eyes, getting in touch with the Force, reaching out, then pulling back once he got his answer. When he reopened his eyes, they were so angry that it would make a Royal Guard cower in fear.

"Set course for General Adam Shay's command ship," he called into the cockpit. "The Dark Lady of the Sith has just been killed."

"So you did care for her?" Shay asked. "I'm sure Anna would love to hear that, the fact that you were in love with the Dark Lady."

Luke's head shot up, and he winced at the pain that prodded him in the back of the neck. "I was not in love with her," he said honestly. "I only felt her death through the Force, that's it."

"I thought you were cut off from the Force?" Shay asked, clearly testing him.

"I can still feel deaths," Luke growled. "Just as I can feel that Anna is still alive."

"Yet you haven't told me where she is," Shay said.

"I don't know where she is!"

"And I don't believe you!"

Shay's voice got very powerful, and Luke shifted in his uncomfortable position.

"Let's see, shall we hit Vader next?" Shay asked, turning his back to Luke. "The Maker knows how close he and you are. One might even ask if you were related."

Luke lashed out at Shay's feet with his good leg, hitting the General square in the boots. Shay turned quickly, and without missing a beat, delivered a swift kick to Luke's leg. The Dark Jedi cried out, slumping back against the wall.

"You do not know anything about me, General," Luke growled, but his voice was getting weaker and weaker. His head was beginning to ache, and he wondered if Shy and done some serious damage.

"Oh, I know that Vader is your father," Shay said.

"Anakin Skywalker was my father!" Luke spat.

"They are the same person, are they not?" Shay asked. "Physically, yes. Mentally, maybe not. As far as I am concerned, he is your father."

"And how did you come across this information?"

Shay laughed. "I have connections everywhere Skywalker. In places where you can only dream of, I know someone. It's not like it was that hard to find, either."

At that moment, there was a shuffle behind Shay, and he turned on his heel to face the stormtroopers.

"You better have good reason for interrupting me," he growled. "Or else you will pay for it."

Luke had never seen Shay so brutal before. He was a strategist, and was never one to go out in the field. However, all of those time he went into the Undercity of Coruscant, he must've picked up some traits and techniques. Luke now understood why Anna would run from a man like this, and to be afraid to wander the galaxy with him in such a high position of power.

"Sir, we've confirmed that there are three X-wings that have just landed in Hangar Seven," the stormtrooper said, keeping his voice even. In his mind, Luke made a mental note that they were still on a Star Destroyer. As for which one it, was he had no idea.

"What else?" Shay asked sharply, clearly annoyed.

"There are three Rebels that are now on the ship," the stormtrooper continued. "Two women and a man, and they look to be armed."

Shay looked at Luke with a sarcastic smile. "Looks like you're dearly beloved walked right into my hands," he said. "This will be far too easy." He stepped out of the door and looked at the stormtrooper. "Good work," he said. "Close this cell, stand guard, make sure he cannot get out. There will be hell to pay if he gets out at all. You six, come with me. We are going to end this war, and we will end it tonight."

"Yes sir," the stormtrooper said, and Luke dropped his gaze as the blast door slammed shut, encompassing him in near darkness once again.

 _Please Anna, be strong. Be that woman that I fell in love with months ago. You can defeat him._

* * *

The Star Destroyer had been eerily quiet for the first few minutes that they were on the ship, but now, formations of stormtroopers jogged the hallways, their blasters raised to their chests, looking for the three Rebels that were harboured on the ship. However, what the Rebels had on their side was that they were all incredibly stealthy, and it surprised even Fable.

"I didn't think you you'd be as light on your feet as you are," she commented to Tyler as they stayed pressed up against the wall of a corridor, trying to plan out their next move while Anna tried to reach out to Luke with the Force.

"I lived in the forests of Theed for a few years, so you learn how to be stealthy when you want to eat," he said. "Taught me quickly how to be sneaky, and how to get away without much of an altercation, if any."

"That will come in handy here," Fable said. "Not many can keep up with a Jedi."

"I get that feeling," he said. "Any leads?"

"Not really," Anna said. "It feel like he's on the other side of the bloody ship."

Fable smiled as her sister's language came through. "You said he felt weak," she said. "Maybe that's why you're not getting a good sense of his presence."

"Then we need to hurry," Anna said. "Do any of you have an idea of where the cells are? If Shay has him, he's probably locked up somewhere."

"No," Fable said. "Our only option is to scan the corridors and not get caught by stormtroopers."

"Sounds like a flawless plan," Tyler said.

"This is not the time for sarcasm," Anna said sternly. "Come on, let's move."

They jogged quickly down the hallway, always looking behind them and listening for the signs of any approaching stormtroopers. Shay would have the ship on high alert now, as he would know that they were there. Anna led the way, with Fable bringing up the rear, and Tyler was sandwiched in the middle, his blaster in his hand, pointed just over Anna's shoulder. She stopped suddenly, and he nearly ran right into her. The faint voice of a man was coming closer, and by eh sound of it, he was not happy.

She jogged a bit further, where there was another corridor, and the others quickly followed her, flattening themselves out against the wall, listening for any signs of the approaching man. By the sounds of it, he had stormtroopers, and several of them.

"Search the entire area around the hangar," he said. "Do not kill them, bring them to me, unharmed. They'll try to get to Skywalker, so ensure that you set everything up so that they come out of hiding easily."

Anna mouthed "Shay" to the two behind her, and they nodded, watching as he strode by the corridor, six stormtroopers following in formation behind him. He walked with an authority that she had never seen in him before, and she could tell that he meant business. Hs conversation faded out as he put some distance between the two groups, and Anna was the first one to step out of their hiding place. The thing with Star Destroyers was that everywhere you were, there was always the chance of someone blowing your cover.

"If we don't run into any stormtroopers, then we're going the wrong way," Fable said.

"So they're baiting us?" Tyler asked.

"Seems that way," Anna said. "Let's just see if we can find wherever they're keeping him first, then we can talk battle strategy. Until then, stay alert, and for the Maker's sake Tyler do not point that thing right near my head."

"Do you have anywhere else?" he asked.

"Away from me," she said.

"Your lightsaber scares me but you don't see me complaining."

"I've had over a year of experience with this thing."

"Okay, children, now is not the time to argue," Fable hissed. "Let's go."

Anna led them again down the corridor that Shay had come from, always keeping in touch with Force, and she felt Luke's presence still though it was still getting weaker. Something was happening to him. If Shay had hurt him…she gripped her lightsaber tighter in her hands, but let out a breath shortly afterward. Keeping her emotions in check was proving to be more and more difficult, considering everything that was happening around her. She needed to keep a level head, as her sister was. She needed to control her emotions.

They had a good run where they didn't running any stormtroopers, but when they finally did again, it was not a measly six that Shay had taken with them. There must've been two dozen of them, maybe more, all standing outside of a small blast door. Anna peeled off before they were any closer, and pressed her back up against the wall of the corridor just off to the side.

"Alright," she said. "Tyler, you're going to go in and cover us. Fable, you stick with me, and we'll take them out." She gave Tyler a quick look. "And try not to shoot us."

"You don't trust me?" he asked.

"Oh I trust you, but do I trust you with that blaster?" she asked rhetorically. "No."

"Alright, alright," Fable said. "You ready, Tyler?" she asked.

"Not in your life," he said honestly. "I'm scared to death."

"I will not let anything happen to you, Tyler," Anna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have my promise. Just keep me safe, and I'll be able to uphold it, okay?"

Tyler nodded. "Alright," he said. "Let's go get him back and take this General down."

Anna smiled at his urgency, and motioned for him to get right to the edge of the wall. "Let us know when you have about a third of them distracted," Fable said. "We'll run in after that."

Tyler nodded, bringing the blaster up to his chest and taking a deep breath, closing his eyes. He opened them once again, and went to turn quickly and open fire, when he was suddenly frozen to the spot. He flattened himself back against the wall, shooting a quick glance at Anna and Fable, who seemed to know exactly what had happened. Anna hadn't felt he cold presence in a long time, certainly not this close. The Emperor was here.

She moved quietly, carefully peering out of the corridor to see him standing among the bodies of the stormtroopers that had been standing, and alive, not one minute ago. He was not accompanied by anyone, which was rather strange, as he almost always had his Royal Guards around him. However, this time, he stood alone, leaning on his cane, his face obscured by his hood. He was staring at a blast door, one that was firmly shut, and Anna narrowed her eyes as he slid it open with his hand, almost effortlessly. He raised his head, and she quickly ducked back into the corridor.

She gave Fable a worried glance, of which her sister returned. Whatever his intentions were, it was clear that he was not supportive of Shay in this endeavour. Although there was always a part of Anna that had known that the Emperor would never back Shay, she couldn't put any faith in him whatsoever. He was the reason they were here, he was the reason they were still fighting. If he would have died on the Death Star, this would all be over, and she would still have Luke.

It was then when his cold spoke sliced through the air. "What has happened to the General?" he asked.

"He's gone mad." Anna's eyes widened. It was Luke, no doubt, but he sounded incredibly weak, as if all of the life was draining out of him, and he could do nothing to stop it. "The Dark Lady…"

"She is one with the Force now," the Emperor said sadly. "I felt it through the Force."

He raised his head, and turned to his right, where he scanned the corridor. "I can feel the three of you," he said. "It is no use hiding from me. I will not harm you."

Anna's knuckles turned white, and she looked back at Fable for answers. The red-haired Astin just shrugged, and Anna tightened her grip on her saberstaff. She motioned for Tyler to stay put, and Fable pushed herself off of the wall. The two Astin sisters then walked out into the corridor, in plain view of the man they had grown to detest.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked sharply.

"Relax, girl," he said dismissively. "I am not here to harm you or your companions."

"You were at one point," she growled.

"That was a different time," he said. "My ranks are being torn apart, and I cannot have that happen. My apprentice is in danger, as well as my other Force warriors."

"There is only one left," Anna said. "Lumiya is gone."

"I know that," he said. "Her death was made to look like an accident, it seems, but I can assure you that it was planned. Any General who wants to win a war with minimal casualties would not send out a shuttle with one of our most fierce warriors by itself, with hardly any backup. That is beside the point. Why are you here?"

"Luke is in danger," she said, not bothering to lie, the Emperor would be able to tell if she was. "I need to get him out of here."

"You will not be taking him," the Emperor said.

"Is that so?" Anna asked, clearly challenging him. "You are unarmed, you have no guards. Do you expect me to back down without a fight?"

The Emperor shook his head. "Of course not," he said. "That is not who you are. Such is clear when I see you walk on that leg that Bane Werth severed."

She gave him a sharp glare, but did not engage. He was going what he usually did, trying to provoke the Dark feelings within her. Still, she said nothing.

"You have failed to protect your own warriors," Fable said from behind her. "Lumiya is dead, you kept Vader under for as long as possible, trying to choke him out of the ranks, and now you can't even protect your own apprentice. There is no hope for you to get of of this Star Destroyer with him, not while we're here."

"You're mistaken," he warned. "You say that I am unnarmed, but how do you know for sure? You say that I have no guards around me, but how do you know for sure? You do not. That will be your downfall, and why the three of you will not live to see the Arbran sunrise tomorrow."

"And you will be the one to kill us?" Fable asked.

"I do not have to be the one to deliver the fatal blow," he said. "I gave the General my orders, and even though he has turned on my Force warriors, he still has a chance of carrying out my commands."

Anna glanced over at her sister, trying to read something, but she got nothing. Fable's expression was neutral, as she had worked on controlling her feelings before the battle. They could both read into the underlying message that the Emperor had laid in front of them.

"And again, you are under the assumption that we will go down without a fight," Fable said, igniting her lightsaber. "Of which you do not have any idea."

The Emperor smiled, taking a step forward toward them, but neither of them moved. "It has been a long time since eI have heard your name, Fable," he said. "The last time it was spoken in my presence was when Jaalib Brandl spoke of you." His face darkened as he said the name, as if it was leaving a sour taste in his mouth. "The traitor. He abused my trust and went against me."

"And for good reason," Fable snapped. "Who in their right mind would ever serve you?"

While Fable and the Emperor went back and forth, Anna looked over the leader's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the figure that was undoubtably inside of the blast door. However, he had not made a single move, or gave any signs that he was still breathing. She could still feel his presence though the Force, but as it had ever since the there of them had arrived on board the Star Destroyer, it weakened with every moment that passed.

"Answer me one question," Anna said. "Why, in all of your power, do you choose to stand there with your apprentice and not send your guards to kill Shay?"

"As I've said before, girl, you assume many things about me that are untrue," he said. "My guards are scouring this Star Destroyer now for the General."

He didn't say anything more about his plans, and Anna began to feel the creeping feeling of mistrust once again. Surely, if he had wanted to kill anyone on the ship, he would have done so by now. She was unclear over what his true motives were, as he had been less that direct about the entire situation. He watched them carefully, and Anna hard Tyler shift on the wall beside them. Everything was still for a moment, as if they were not in a war, and that the only thing that anyone could focus on was the person standing in front of them, not fifty feet away.

As they stood in silence for a beat, the sound of an igniting lightsaber cut through the air. The Emperor cried out as a magenta blade pierced through his chest, and both Anna and Fable staggered back. The blade retreated as quickly as it had appeared, and the disturbance that it sent through the Force was incredibly powerful. Even Tyler winced as the body slumped to the floor, joining those of the stormtroopers.

Holding the lightsaber at an awkward angle, was none other than Shay. He tossed it to the side. "I always thought that you would come running back to me," he said, his gaze trained solely on Anna. She stepped back as he approached her, but didn't ignite her saberstaff. Fable's was still humming and crackling, and she raised it in a defensive position.

"You will not need that," Shay said.

"Really?" she asked. "Because I doubt that you just threw away your only weapon."

However, the only thing Anna could think about as that time was Luke. His spirit and presence in the Force was draining fast, and before she even knew what she was doing, she raced past Shay, getting her shoulder up so that she could knock him to the ground, and rushed toward the blast door that was still wide open. She ignored Fable's pleas to stay put, and even though she wanted to listen, her heart was overriding everything. She dropped to her knees as she saw the figure lying awkwardly in the tiny room.

It was Luke, but she had never seen him so weak before. Not even the night on the Death Star had taken this big of a toll on him. There was blood running down the side of his face and from his nose, and his leg looked as though it was broken. His eyes were closed, and even though he was still alive, he was only barely holding on.

She fought as rough hands pulled her up from her spot, and she swung the hilt of her saberstaff right at the mask of a stormtrooper. It connected with him, and he staggered away, allowing her to get herself into a position to fight. She ignited it, the two pearl-white blades shooting out of either end, but right as she was about to swing it, she saw Fable and Tyler, both watching her, surrounded by stormtroopers, their weapons gone.  
"You really thought you could save him?" Shay asked.

"You're mad!" she screamed. "You're giving up this war, for what?"

"The answer is quite simple," he said. "I have dealt with Force users for far too long, been told that I was below them, all because I couldn't wield something that could hardly give anyone an edge in battle. I am erradicating that now."

"So this is a power quest, is that it?" Anna asked, swinging her blades around to warn the stormtroopers back.

"You could say that, yes," he said, and the fact that he seemed so pleased with himself made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to take him out right then and there, and she was sure that she would've been able to, but there was someone else who needed her help. She closed her eyes, calling upon the one person on the Star Destroyer that she could trust.

 _Anakin_ , she thought. _We need you now, your son needs you. He doesn't have much time left._

She repeated it over and over in her mind, swinging her blade every time that she felt the presence of a stormtrooper move toward her. She was completely in touch with Force, not needing anything else but it, to guide her. It acted as every one of her senses, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw her sister standing just off to the side, and knew exactly what had happened. Tyler was as clueless as ever, but Anna was willing to give him a break.

"Let's stop playing games, shall we?" Shay asked. "I've been playing them with you for several year now, it's time to end it all."

"You cannot kill me, Shay," she warned. "You cannot kill any of us."

"We'll see about that," he said, and turned to his troops. "Go, get her."

She swung her blade threateningly at them, and even Shay stepped back from the white light. "You're not getting me," she said confidently. "Nor my sister, or Tyler. This is over."

* * *

 **asghjkl**  
 **Did everyone make it through that okay?**  
 **This chapter took me so much time to write, it's over 8k words and is almost a short story in itself. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too long, I got in a groove and didn't want to break it up into separate chapters. But, it's still not over (the next chapter is still the battle, but it's going to be less than half of length this one was). hopefully the jumps between POVs were not too awkward.**  
 **Double update today because why not.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Stronger language in this chapter, be warned.**

 **CarminaxBuranax: Everything. Everything is happening.**

* * *

"It is not over," Shay said. "You do not have the upper hand, which you make the grave mistake about every time. You underestimate the power that I have."

"If you are afraid of Force users, how am I supposed to believe you?" Anna asked, challenging him. He gave her a careful glance, and as she spun her blade in her hand again, the stormtroopers surrounding her all took another step back.

"Maybe it's time for one of your companions to join the Dark Lady and the former Emperor," he said, and signalled for both of the captured Rebels to be brought forward. "I'll even be so kind as to let you choose."

"You're sick," she growled. "You're completely mad. This is between you and I, Adam, let's not forget that."

"Maybe it was once," he said. "But not anymore. You have made another mistake of dragging the Alliance into this battle. If you had just left them alone, maybe you would not be in this position."

"You're an Imperial," she pointed out. "The Alliance is your natural enemy, but at the moment, you don't have any enemies except for Force users. You even murdered your own leader, and all for power?"

"If you do not make a choice, I will choose for you," Shay warned. "I doubt that you want that to happen. I remember how badly it ended for you last time I made a choice for you."

She winced at the memory as it resurfaced, quickly pushing it to the back of her mind. Where was Vader? Luke's life-force was draining fast, and every moment that he had absent, the more Luke slipped away from her.

"Adam," she said slowly, still not pleased with the fact that she had to use his first name to get him to listen. It was far too personal for her liking. "You underestimate both of them."

"Do I?" he asked. "Maybe it's time for me to carry out the orders that the Emperor gave me weeks ago, back when you and I were still on Coruscant." He turned to his troops. "Bring me the companion."

"No," Anna said sharply. "He has nothing to do with this."

"You keep telling me that, yet here he is," Shay pointed out, and kicked Tyler swiftly in the back of his knees, making the dark-haired boy fall in front of the General so that he was facing Anna. The stormtroopers left him in front of Shay, but he didn't move, and only looked up at Anna. While before, his expression had been one of sheer terror, it was not very calm and even.

"Don't worry about me," he said slowly to her, his dark brown eyes boring into her. She closed her eyes.

"Do not do this to me, Tyler," she warned. She had seen the same expression in Luke's face the night that they had gone to the Death Star, the one that spoke of an acceptance of death, and it ripped her heart apart to see him so calm in the face of everything that was going on.

"Kill him for me," Tyler said, and Shay placed his foot on the young Rebel's back. Tyler leaned forward under the pressure, and Anna swung her lightsaber at the troops once again, forcing them back.

"You are not helping your cause," Shay said as he raised his blaster, his finger on the trigger.

"Do not harm him," Anna warned.

"You do not control me," Shay said, and with that, his third victim of the night was claimed, and the familiar ripple of death was sent through the Force. Fable squad her eyes shut, while Anna just stayed frozen on the spot as Tyler's lifeless body fell against the floor. She didn't know how to react, and the only thing that restarted her body again was his dying wish to not allow him to die in vain. She slashed widely suddenly, her lightsaber not caring what it met. She was so immersed in the moment that it felt as though she had completely lost control, but she didn't try to get it back.

Two stormtroopers fell, and Shay jumped back calling for backup almost instantly. However, he was her target, and she hacked away at the wave of stormtroopers that tried to block her from him. They stood no chance as she channeled the Dark side. All she was focused on was getting to Shay and ending his life as he had Tyler's. He was scared, and she thrived off of seeing his fearful expression. She wanted him to be afraid of her.

The person who was able to bring her back was Fable. "Anna!" she cried. "Sister, please stop!" Anna heard the request, and only then did she fight to get back. Controlling her emotions had always been a weak spot for her, and she had watched Fable too channel the Dark side not long ago. She fought to get herself back under control, and the fearful look from Shay disappeared, and it was replaced by the same disdain he had shown whenever he had looked at her before, or Luke, or any of the Rebels.

"Still have a bit of a fiery attitude, I see," Shay commented. "I guess some things never change."

"They don't," she said. "You're still an asshole."

The General ignored the comment as she stood tall again, but did not disengage her lightsaber. Its humming and sparking field the corridor as she stood among the few stormtroopers that she had cut down in her blind rage.

"Such a waste that a perfectly good soldier had to die," he said. "That was Palpatine's orders, always making the Force users look like saints."

"Anyone is a saint compared to you," Anna spat, getting back in a defensive position as more stormtroopers arrived. She was fully ready to engage them if she had to, and as they appeared, their blasters drawn, she swung her lightsaber around in her hand as a warning.

"Let go of the girl," a dark, distorted, mechanical voice boomed through the corridor, and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Both Anna and Fable raised their heads, and saw the black-clad figure move swiftly through the halls. His breathing apparatus echoed in the hall as he walked calmly before Shay.

"What is going on here, General?" he asked, and for a moment, Anna saw a flicker of fear skip across Shay's face.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Shay said smoothly, but there was a tinge of sarcasm laced in his voice.

"I hardly think that feeling all of these deaths through the Force is something I should simply brush off," Vader said, his voice powerful in a way that Anna had never heard before. He had truly regained his form that he had before, but she could feel that he was emanating the opposite side of the Force than he had been before.

"This is not something you need to get involved with," Shay said, annoyance creeping into his tone.

Anna looked over at the Dark Lord. Thank you, she called to him through the Force. He did not give her any acknowledgment that he had heard her, but she was certain that he had.

"Are you sure about that?" Vader asked, and called Luke's lightsaber to his hand. Shay stepped back, and Anna turned her blade over again, warning the stormtroopers back. They seemed very conflicted over whether or not to raise their blasters at Vader or at Shay.

"Yes," Shay said. "Send him back to the med bay, and make sure he doesn't return."

The troops engaged, and Anna began to cut away at them, trying to force herself so that she could help Vader fight. He ignited Luke's magenta blade, not stopped to admire it for one moment, and began to deflect the blaster bolts away, as effortlessly as always. His technique was seasoned, and even after being in critical condition for so long, he still had his form, and it was still nearly flawless.

Anna saw Fable fighting with all she had, trying to get to her lightsaber. The younger of the two Astin sisters, swung her saberstaff around, letting it roll over her hand before bringing both blades down on two unfortunate stormtroopers. Some of them directly their fire at her, but she deflected the bolts easily. The one advantage she had with her saberstaff was the reach on it, and, by extension, she could deflect the blaster bolts away from her much more efficiently.

She broke though the crowd that was surrounding her and made a beeline for her sister, striking down one of the troops as more fire concentrated on her. Her and Fable didn't stop to acknowledge each other, as the heat of battle was far too much for them. Anna continued to swing her pearl-white saberstaff around, cutting through the masses of stormtroopers, trying to find the one that carried Fable's lightsaber. However, the redhead was not about to let Anna do it all herself, and picked up the blaster of a fallen stormtrooper. She began to fire wildly, but keeping her emotions in check. The blaster felt awkward in her hands, and she longed for her Jedi weapon.

Luke, on the other hand, was just barely conscious enough to see the battle. He couldn't feel any pain, though he knew exactly what had happened. He could see the Emperor's lifeless body had become one with the Force, and he knew that his time was draining. The Emperor's dark life-force took a while to fully detach itself from him, but it didn't feel like it was taking very long. He probably had maybe a few more minutes before he was completely gone. He saw his father, fighting. He saw Anna, her brilliant saberstaff nearly bending in with the walls of the Star Destroyer. He saw Fable's red hair stand out among it all, and he saw Anna's companion lying lifeless on the floor. He fought the urge to shut his eyes, which was becoming more and more difficult. Even blinking was becoming harder to recover from, and his limbs began to feel heavy. He didn't want to die, not like this, but there didn't seem to be any other way.

Anna cut down yet another stormtrooper, and the white cylindrical hilt of Fable's lightsaber rolled out of his hand and onto the floor. The redhead called in into her hand and ignited the silver-blue blade instantly, dropping the black blaster. She caught a glimpse of Shay running down the hallway, not bothering to stop the slaughter of his troops. You coward, she thought. You can't even see your own missions through to the end.  
Anna made her way back toward Vader, who had made short work of the stormtroopers around him, and Fable cut down the last of them. The three Force warriors were exhausted, but the battle was far from over. Anna disengaged her lightsaber and looked up at the Dark Lord.

"Are you ready for this, Anakin?" she asked between breaths.

"Yes," he said. His breathing had become more and more rapid from the effort of battle, and she felt sorry for him. However, he had wanted to save his son. She just wished it was under better circumstances.

The three of them walked slowly to where Luke lay, and Anna dropped to her knees, feeling his neck for any sort of sign that he was alive.

"He has a pulse," she said. "But it's weak. We have to do it now."

Vader knelt at his son's side, and Anna looked up at him. The black mask did not intimidate her anymore, now that she knew what lay beneath.

"This is incredibly selfless, what you're doing," she said. "I don't think I could ever repay you."

"Do not thank me," he said. "Seeing you reminded me of what I had left in the galaxy. You brought me back, to save him."

Fable walked up behind them. "Shay has disappeared," she said. "We need to move fast if we want to end this tonight."

Anna placed a hand on Vader's arm. She never would have expected that she would dread the moment that Vader would die, but now, it was so much different. She couldn't say anything even if she wanted to. Instead, she simply stood up and turned away from him, not wanting to watch the scene that would follow.

She closed her eyes as the Force was disturbed once again, trying not to let her emotion spill out. Fable placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, trying to offer some sort of comfort, but it didn't seem to go far. The two sisters did not turn around for a few more seconds, waiting for the Force to settle. She let out a deep breath before she turned. Vader's armour was still there, but Anakin was gone. She walked back over to Luke and knelt at his side, hoping for some sign of life. She could still feel his presence in the Force, but his body was still, and his eyes were closed.

"Come on, Luke," she choked out. Fable knelt down next to the younger Astin.

"Maybe it just wasn't meant to be," Fable said sadly. "We need to go. Shay will be trying to find a way off of this Star Destroyer right now."

"I'm not leaving here without him," Anna said, not taking her eyes off of Luke's face.

"Leia is calling us back," Fable said "We have no choice. I'm sorry."

"No, we do," Anna said, turning away from Luke for just a moment. "I am making mine. Adam will come back to me if I let him, that I'm not worried about." She pushed her hair back and glanced down at the floor. "I helped you in getting your love back, why don't you help me?"

Fable had no answer, and just turned away, glancing around the corridor at all of the dead stormtroopers that lay around them, and of course, Tyler. She let out a sad sigh, and Anna returned her gaze back to Luke. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.

The marks that resembled lighting that ran down his face were gone. The haunting yellow tinge that had once borders his eyes was gone, leaving behind the icy blue that he was known for. There were no signs of his injuries, as if Vader's life-force had wiped away all of the things that the Dark side had inflicted.

"You're back," she whispered, barely even able to speak. It felt as though her throat had gone dry.

Luke glanced around, taking everything in. "Where's the General?" he asked, his voice powerful as always, and it made Anna jump back slightly.

"I don't know," she said, taken aback by his question. She would've thought that he would ask her something else, but then again, Shay had nearly killed him.

"He took the cowardly route," Fable said, and Luke looked up at her. "He ran, probably for one of the hangars, in order to escape this ship."

"Then we need to go find him, don't we?" Luke stated, and looked over at Anna. "Thank you for coming back for me. How did you know about Shay?"

"Jaalib received a transmission," Anna explained. "Leia was not going to let us go, but she couldn't say no to three of us."

"Where's the third?" Luke asked, but he answered his own question as his eyes fell upon Tyler's body. "I'm sorry."

"I can explain it all later," Anna said. "But let's get out of here. Shay needs to be taken out tonight."

Luke nodded, and rose slowly, with the help of Anna. As soon as he was standing she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He returned it, and the two of them just stood there, taking it all in.

"I thought that I'd lost you," she said. "Not just tonight, but before. I could feel that the Dark side was starting to pull you in."  
Luke nodded. "It's incredibly powerful," he said. "I will tell you all about it later."

Anna glance down at Tyler's body, and her breath caught in her throat again. "I wish that we could bring him back home," she said. "But we can't."  
"He wanted to see the Empire fall," Fable said. "We cannot fail him now. He'll rest easily knowing that we'll fulfill his dying wish. Let's go, Shay has had a significant head start on us all."

Anna nodded, and the two Jedi broke away. Luke called his lightsaber to his hand, and they began to jog down the corridor of the Star Destroyer, not running into any stormtroopers or officers whatsoever. It seemed as though the entire ship was deserted.

"Where's the docking bay?" Fable asked, looking over to Luke.

"There are several," he said. "They;re all in the same place. This way."

The three Jedi picked up the pace, racing through the winding hallways of the ship, finally reaching the area in the middle where the hangars and docking bays were.

"I'll go find the X-wings," Fable said. "You two, go take him out."

The small group split, searching through each docking bay. Anna clutched her saberstaff in her hand as she spotted movement near a lambda shuttle.

"Adam!" she yelled. "It's over!"

He froze on the spot as she ignited her lightsaber and moved toward him. He had his back to her, and didn't turn as she approached him.

"I thought that Jedi were not supposed to kill because of the Dark feelings," he said.

"I'll make an exception," she hissed. "You've lost. The Empire is falling and it will be completely gone with the destruction of you." She twirled the blades behind him.

"You wouldn't."

"I have to, Adam." And with that, one of her pearl-white blades sunk into him, ending the war.

* * *

 **I won Camp today (last day to validate, really got it down to the wire, I finished with just under two hours left), so I have three more chapters to post after this, which will go up in the next few days.**


	23. Chapter 23

Three days passed before there was any movement from the three Rebels that had made it off of the Star Destroyer. While the rest of the Alliance had been out celebrating their victory, Anna, Luke, and Fable had been mellow, not showing their faces to anyone. People checked up on them, but they never left their rooms. No one could blame them, as they had seen a lot on the star Destroyer, and needed some time to recover from it. Even Jaalib gave Fable space, something he hadn't done before. He wanted to be at her side, but forced himself to let her recuperate from her experiences.

Luke and Anna were staying together, in her room. He was sitting out in the common area, staring up at the ceiling. He had been very quiet since they had returned, as his brush with Dark side seemed to have affected him greatly. At first, Anna had given him his space, but now, she felt incredibly distant from him. As she sat in a chair beside him, looking down at a datapad, she wondered what was going on behind the facade he was displaying.

"Luke," she called softly, and he turned his head to look at her, but didn't say anything.

"What's the Dark side like?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes at her pushing himself up so that he was sitting straight. "Why do you want to know?" he questioned.

"It nearly consumed you," she said. "You have the strongest light in the galaxy. It must be more powerful than anyone could've ever imagined."

He shifted around, then stood up, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Put the datapad down," he said. "Come sit with me on the couch."

She did as she was told, and leaned forward to set the datapad down on the table. "Will you tell me?" she asked.

Again, he did not answer, but she stood and followed him over to the couch. He sat down first, and she settled back as well, leaning up against him so that her back was pressed up against his chest. His arms surrounded her in a protective way, something that he had not done in a long time.

"Master Yoda told me to not underestimate the power of the Dark side," Luke began. "He warned me, saying that if I did, I'd end up just like my father. I thought that when I was first under its influence, I could fight it off, and I did. I was cautious about what I did, making sure that I didn't go on any missions that weren't necessary. I tried to keep as clear of a mind as I could, and I hated it at first. I needed to watch everything I did, but eventually, that became rather difficult

"Working with Shay was the first thing that the Emperor did to push me over the edge. He knew that you and the General had history, and that I had assumed to hate him when I found out who he was. The Emperor wanted me to give into the feeling of aggression and anger, but I kept myself calm during any time I was forced to work with him.

"Then Lumiya was brought into my life. She would be the last one to push me over the edge, and I was close. I thought that I could control it all, but I was falling faster than I thought. When you're falling to the Dark side, you don't really feel it. Everything feels normal, but by the time you realize that you're too far in, it's too late. Thankfully, I had seen you, and I believed that there was still Light left in me. Now that I'm free from the Dark side, I only now realize just how far in I was, and that I had nearly completed my fall to the Dark side."

He looked down at her. "I promise that I was just trying to save you," he said. "One thing that I realized about him is that he;s incredibly persuasive. He can get in your head like it's nothing. I was foolish to believe him."

"You did what you thought was right," Anna said, reaching up to cup his cheek. "You sacrificed yourself in order to keep me and the rest of the Rebels safe. That's as selfless of an act as I've ever heard of, except for your father, of course."

Tyler and Anakin were still fresh wounds in their hearts. It hurt to know that they were gone, but their sacrifice would always be recognized and treasured by those closest to them.

"What about you, Anna?" Luke asked suddenly, and she looked up.

"What about me?" she asked.

"How have you been recently?"

She smiled at the nature of his question. "I've been better," she said, turning over so that she could look at him properly. "Although I can relate with you about having to live with a prosthetic now."

He chuckled warmly, and she pushed herself off of him. "Not so easy, is it?" he asked.

"Hey, you lost your hand, I lost half of my leg," she said. "What would you rather have?"

"That's an impossible question," he said, and she reached for her datapad again, but his arm shot out, blocking her. "You don't need to do any work right now."

"Easy for you to say," she said. "I'm a Commander, I still have to get things done, especially now."

"I doubt that the things that you need to do are related to your title," Luke said, reading her confused her expression. "I know you, Anna. What's going on?"

She sighed, and went to go sit back down next to him. "Remember the day that I met Fable?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "That was a special moment."

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding. "Anyway, she told me the name of the planet that I'm from, and I think that I want to return to it."

"I thought you said that you never wanted to go back?" he asked.

"I didn't want to go back because I was still running," she said. "I didn't think I was strong enough, but now, the experiences that I've had over the past year have made me a much more confident person."

"So where is this mysterious planet, then?" he asked.

"Corulag," she said.

"In the Core," Luke said, nodding. "That's a wonderful planet."

"I know," she said. "I just want to go back there and reconcile with everything. I hardly think that we'll be needing to stay in this base anymore, not with the Empire falling to pieces around us."

"True," he said. "But don't you think it might be a bit too soon?"

"I've been away from my home planet for eight years," she said. "I think it's long past due that I go back. Seeing everything about it on the datapad, it makes me all happy knowing that I know where I come from now."

"Well, we can go back, but give me a few more days here," he said. "I'm still recovering from everything."

"I didn't plan on leaving until next week anyway," she said, then a saddened expression dawned on her face. "I still need to set up a memorial for Tyler on Naboo."

Luke dropped his gaze, knowing how much Tyler's death had affected her. The day after the battle, she had been in a state of shock for the entire day, not eating at all and hardly even drinking. Even though they hadn't known each other for long, only seven months, it was enough for the two of them to have developed strong, protective feelings for each other.

"Something else is bothering you," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist again. "What is it?"

She let out a deep breath, pushing her dark brown hair out of her face. "Just, the way I killed Shay," she said. "I channeled the Dark side to kill him. All of my anger that has been building up toward him for the past several years came out. I feel terrible that I used the Dark side, but I couldn't fight it off, not with everything else happening. The thing was, he didn't even try to defend himself. I basically walked up and killed him." She shook her head. "I shouldn't even feel guilty about this. He's a murderer, someone who needed to be taken out."

"That's the Light in you that feels guilty," he said. "Believe me, I'm going through the same thing. The Force works in strange ways, you know that, but you're also a sensitive person, no matter how hard you try to make yourself seem like you're unfazed by anything. Your mind is telling you that killing Shay was the right thing to do, but you cannot convince the Light in you to think that way. Eventually, you will learn to accept it, just as I am learning to do, as hard as it is. I believe in you."

"Thank you," she said, and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "Anyway, are you okay with going to Corulag? I don't want to force you into anything you're not comfortable with."

"I have a lot of time to make up," he said. "I don't care what planet it's on, as long as you're with me."

"Still cheesy as always."

"It's what makes you fall head over heals for me."

She playfully slapped his chest, and stood up. "Have you seen Fable at all since we got back?"

"Not really," he said. "It's hard when you haven't even left the room for three days. Why?"

"There's something up with her," Anna said. "I don;t know what it is. Ever since we got Jaalib back, she's been a bit more distant."

"That's what love does to you," Luke said. "She is your sister, but I'm sure that she is thinking that same thing that I said about you. She wants to make up for all of this lost time. Unfortunately, you're roll is minor."

Anna dropped her gaze. She had been expecting an swear like that, but it still hurt nonetheless.

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

"Spend a night together?" Luke asked.

"I'm sure you'd love that," she teased.

"Well we have yet do so…"

"That's a wonderful suggestion, but first I'll need some sustenance."

"As long as my my wish is fulfilled, do whatever you want."

"Wonderful."

Anna picked up the comlink, asking for two meals to be prepared and brought to her quarters. The droids that would serve them were always fast, and she knew that it would be at her door shortly. She set the white cylindrical object down on the counter and walked back over to the common area.

"Do you still feel the Dark side?" she asked suddenly, and he raised his head sharply at her. Of all the things she could've asked, she needed to press him more, but he didn't say anything against it.

"I did for the first day," he said. "You feel sort of, empty, I guess is the best way to phrase it. I had so much power in the Empire, which I thought I didn't care about, but you definitely take it for granted. That's about as close to the Dark side as I got, but it's all gone from me now. All that's left is the Light that my father once had."

Anna smiled at her memory of Anakin, way back when she was still in her coma. "He redeemed himself through you, and that, I have to respect him for," she said. "Anakin Skywalker will always hold a very special place in my heart for bringing you back to me."

"And thank the Maker that he did," Luke said, standing up and placing his chin on her shoulder. "Because you have no idea how lonely it is on that Star Destroyer."

* * *

 **Sort of a cutesy chapter to calm everything down. I wrote most of this while waiting for my hair dye to settle so if there are parts of it that seem rushed, sorry for that (which, btw, is the most boring thing in the world).**  
 **So yeah, going on record that they've never slept together. I don't think it's realistic for a character sleep with someone right away, especially with the experiences that Anna has had.**  
 **One more chapter left, then the epilogue!**


	24. Chapter 24

Returning to Naboo was filled with much more pain than Anna ever thought. She sat aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ , her cream-coloured cloak throw over her shoulders. Beside her sat Luke, their fingers entwined. Fable and Jaalib would be following them in the Prodigal, even if they hadn't known Tyler that well, they were still out to support her. She didn't care much for Jaalib, but she was pleased with the fact that he had decided to come.

The service would be a small one, as Anna could not track down any of Tyler's relatives. However, as far as she was concerned, they had lost their right to him. Pushing him toward the Empire wasn't the worst thing they could've done, especially with an Imperial-sympathizing planet but it ranked up there for sure. However, today was not going to be spent trying to fix what had been completely out of her control. Tyler had still lived a life that not many would have the chance to live. She just wished that it had not been Shay to end his life.

The Falcon landed in the picturesque Naboo countryside, where there were already a small group of Rebels gathered around their ships. They were not far from Theed, just as she had requested. She was the only one who could take them to where the memorial would be held.

She was nudged by Luke, snapping her out of her trance. "Ready?" he asked.

"I guess so," she said. It was tough to such a beautiful place, knowing that she wouldn't be able to run through the Theed market under the nickname of the Theed Thief, and that it would be the last time making the journey through the forest. She stood up from her seat, and Luke led her down the ramp of the _Falcon_ , something that she hadn't had the chance to do in a long time. Han and Leia followed behind them, ready to offer support if need be. Not many people knew Tyler that well, but during his time on Haven Base, Leia had grown to respect him for his devotion to keeping Anna out of the line of fire for so long.

As the ramp to the Falcon closed, the _Prodigal_ landed not far from them. Fable and Jaalib walked down the ramp, regal as always. Anna smiled at Fable, and gave Jaalib a nod of acknowledgement. Mistrust would always be a part of their relationship to each other, and that would never change. Still, she was pleased with the fact that he had come with her sister.

"The place where I'd like to remember him is in the trees," she said. "Where we lived for our last stint here. It's not far, but there is not path, so you'll have to watch your footing."

Of course, there would be no worry, but she just wanted to put it out there. She tugged on Luke's hand, ready to lead the way. He followed her carefully, always on the lookout for something. He was tense, she could feel it, and gave his had a reassuring squeeze as they began their hike through the forests.

It was a short walk, and everyone kept up nicely. There was no complaining, something that she enjoyed about peacetime. Everyone was still so mentally and physically exhausted that they hadn't had a chance to let their minds to what they did best; complain. Even Han, who was normally very talkative, was silent as he followed his wife. Leia walked slowly, and Anna accommodated it for as best as she could, but her excitement was getting the better of her, especially when they grew close to the area.

The small hut was just as they had left it. The fruit that she had placed on the table a month ago was still sitting there, or at least, what was left of it. The area around it had grown higher, and it the hut was almost completely concealed.

"While I was out in hiding, Tyler and I only stayed in one place for about a month at a time," she said. "It kept us mobile, and made it hard for anyone to track us. This was the last place that we had made our home, and had been living in it for a few weeks at the time that the Imperials landed on Naboo and drove us both away from this place." Anna sighed, looking down at the overgrown shrubs and bushes around the entrance. Tyler would've loved to see if one last time, she knew, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"I know that most of you didn't know him," she continued as Luke squeezed her hand, urging her to continue. "He was always very secretive, and did not want to get involved in the war. However he set it aside in order to help the Rebellion get Luke back, and I'm very glad that he did. He was killed in the line of duty, which I'm sure was the last thing he ever thought would happen, but nonetheless, he gave his life for the cause, and for that, I could not be more proud. For someone to come out of hiding and accept it all as quickly as he did is nothing less than remarkable. Then to stay strong throughout the events when we were on that Star Destroyer…he held himself together impeccably, as my sister can attest to."  
Fable smiled and nodded. "He was a true warrior out there," she said. "He surprised even me. His bravery was unmatched, and I am very honoured to have been able to serve with him, as tragic as his end was. I'm sure that he is proud, wherever he is in the stars now, knowing that the Empire has fallen and the New Republic can be formed."

Leia lifted her head at the mention of the New Republic. It had been a dream of hers for a long time, and now it was about to become a reality.  
The group was silent then, the only sounds that surrounded them were those of the forest. The Naboo animals called and the wind rustled the leaves, but everything around them was quiet. The wind did not disturb the brush that covered the entrance to Anna and Tyler's once-home, the tall grasses around it also not making any sort of movement.

"Thank you all for coming out to support him," she said. "He was never one to say this, but I'm sure he'd be glad that you were all here to remember him."

Leia walked over to the younger of the Astin sister and placed a hand on her shoulder before drawing her into a hug. Anna squeezed her eyes shut, emotion welling up in her all at once. Even though she had only known Tyler for seven months, it hurt her deeply to know that she would never see him again. He did not die for nothing though, and he would rest peacefully now. She had made sure that the one who had killed him had paid with his own life, and even if she was still haunted by the shadow of guilt, she knew that she had to fulfill Tyler's dying wish. For everything that he had suffered through with her in the past six months, and especially the past month, to be as strong as he had been was admirable.

Anna and Leia broke apart, and Anna gave the former princess a sad smile. "You probably wouldn't be here without him," Leia said. "He touched all of our lives in an indirect way."

"I would be dead five times over if not for him," Anna admitted. "He was invaluable when I lived out here. I couldn't thank him enough for everything that's he's done for me, and now, for the Alliance, and the New Republic."

Leia backed away from Anna, and the younger girl turned to address the rest of the Rebels. "Thank you again" she said. "That's all I wanted to do. Something small to remember him."

With that the other Rebels saluted her, and she smiled at them all, this time, it wasn't sad. She was truly touched by how much they cared. "Let's make our way back to the ships then," she said, and began to lead the way out of the forest.

* * *

The Rebels stayed around at the sips for a little while longer once they got back, talking amongst themselves. Anna had been standing with Luke, holding onto his arm for support as her emotions had threatened to spill over more than once, but when Fable walked over to her, she untangled herself from him.

"I'll be back in a moment, I promise," she said.

"I'll hold you to that," Luke said with a smile, and Anna walked over to the redheaded Jedi.

"What's going on?" she asked, seeing the look in her sister's face was one of sadness.

"Walk with me," Fable said weakly and sadly. Anna was confused about her sister's expression, and as soon as they were out of earshot of the rest of the group, she gave Fable a questioning look.

"I'm very sorry to do this to you, especially now, but, I'm leaving," Fable said. "Jaalib wants me to go with him, and I want to, just as you and Luke are going back to Corulag to start a new life, to distance yourselves from everything."

Anna stepped back. "But, Fable, I just got you back in my life," Anna said. "One month is not enough time."

"I know," Fable said. "And I'm very usurer to do this to you. You've lost so much, but Luke is back in your life, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will take good care of you."

"I know he will," Anna said. "Unfortunately, you know that I cannot find it in my heart to give you my blessing on Jaalib."

"I understand that," Fable said with a nod of her head.

"When are you leaving?" Anna asked sadly, looking down at the tall grass that surrounded them.

"Right after this," Fable said. "I was going to go say goodbye to Deke, then Jaalib and I are returning to Trulalis."

"Even with Adalric there?"

"I can put some things behind me."

Anna lifted her gaze, and Fable could see the hurt in her sister's eyes. It killed her to leave now, and even though she wanted more time, Jaalib had wanted to leave as soon as possible. She could not resist him, and even though she wanted to spend more time with Anna, it would be near-impossible to once she was on Trulalis.

Fable stepped forward and embraced her sister tightly, and Anna returned the hug. The two were incredibly emotional, not expecting to say goodbye so quickly. Anna didn't want to break away, still wanting to spend more time with Fable. Now that she knew it was coming to an end, being her presence would be a gift. Every moment needed to be cherished.

"I wish you a happy life with him," Anna said. "No more war, and you don't have to worry about the temptations of the Dark side."

"I can say the same to you," Fable said. "I think we all ned some time to recover from this whole thing."

The two Astin sisters broke away, and looked at each other with sad eyes. It was incredibly painful to know that this was the end for yet another relationship.

"This is not goodbye forever," Fable said. "I promise you that I will return to Corulag. After all, it is the least I can do after keeping you separate for so long." She looked Anna up and down. "Mother would be proud."

Anna nodded, and walked back with her sister in silence. Luke looked up as the two of them approached once more, and Anna threw herself into his arms. He looked over her shoulder and Fable, and seemed to know exactly what was going on. He squeezed anna tightly against his chest, trying his best for offer her momentary comfort.

"She will be back," Luke said.

Anna broke off from him and turned just in time to watch as Fable and Jaalib walked up the ramp of the _Prodigal_. Fable gave them all one last wave before it shut, closing her off from the only living part of her blood left.

The Rebels all watched watched with sad eyes and the _Prodigal_ exited the Naboo atmosphere, and Anna leaned against Luke for support.  
"You have not lost your entire family," Luke said, squeezing her shoulders affectionately. "The Skywalkers are your family now."


	25. Epilogue

Coral was the place in which Anna was born. It was where she had spent the first fifteen years of her life. Although those years had been filled with pain, it was still her home, and now, she wanted nothing more than to go back to it. The blue-green planet was located in the core worlds, close to Coruscant, and even though the Empire had once had a tight hold on it, the ties to the Empire were severed as it crumbled around them.

Her and Luke walked hand in hand, down the ramp of the _Falcon_. The two had purchased a small cottage in the bamboo forests, secluded from everything, though the city of Curamelle was not far from it. They would be able to live peacefully for the first time in their lives, not having to worry about a new government trying to take over the galaxy, or worry about the allure of the Dark side. They would both live with the scars inflicted from their brushes with it, mentally, and physically, but to know that they finally had a time to themselves was more than they could ever ask for.  
However, Anna could not help but feel a tinge of sadness as she turned her head over her shoulder to see Han and Leia standing at the top, Leia's hand resting on her belly, smiling as the two Jedi stopped to say good-bye to the Falcon. One day, they would return, but for now, they would spend the time that they never got to have together, making up for it all.

Anna wished that Fable would've been able to see this, but she had committed to her own relationship. As much as she was happy for her sister, there would always be an unspoken mistrust of the Brandl family. She could not bring herself to like any of them, even if Jaalib had tried to get into her good books. Whether or not she would ever see her sister again was up in the air, as the family was strict, and did not move about the galaxy, and rarely entered the core worlds. She was incredibly thankful that Luke had been there for her when she had made the heartfelt good-bye to Fable. Jaalib would always be someone she never would have a good relationship with, but it didn't matter now. It was only Luke and her now for the foreseeable future, and she couldn't imagine anything better.

The two waved to Han and Leia, and the ramp of the Falcon began to close. Luke looked down at her with a smile, his hands grasping her arms.  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"I have several years of life to make up for" she said. "I think I want to stay here for a while."

"It won't be easy," he said.

"I'm sure we can get through it," she said, and placed a light kiss on his lips. "I promise."

He smiled at her, pulling her up against his chest, and she relaxed instantly. It had been so long since the two of them had shared any time at all together that wasn't plagued with sour feelings caused by the ongoing conflict that they had lived with, but now, everything seemed quiet.

They watched as the _Falcon_ lifted off, heading to a planet that neither Luke nor Anna knew the name of, and they didn't really care. Han and Leia could take care of themselves, and with their son on they way, they would have their hands full. The two Jedi looked at each other as the ship disappeared from Corulag's atmosphere. Anna looked away first, and began to walk toward the bamboo forest

"The house isn't going to set up itself," Anna said with a sly smile, and Luke raced after her, laughing and enjoying themselves for the first time in a long time, if not ever. She laughed as he caught her from behind, and they began to walk properly over to the secluded cottage.

* * *

 **So there we go, the finale of the Crash series! I'm so grateful for all of your support over the past two years, and during this month. It seems that it's very hard to write fan fiction than I initially thought, as this month was a real struggle and I had to battle it out for a while to get my outline to a place where I felt as though I could work with it.**  
 **I do have another Star Wars fan fiction in the works, and I have poll up on my profile (it's actually there this time) if you guys want to see it. It's still a couple of months out from starting, as I actually want to get a proper outline done and all that (something I didn't do for this story and I paid dearly for it with horrible writer's block). It'll feature some of the characters from The Force Awakens, though probably won't take place during the time of the movie, just because I want to see what else happens before I start writing with the cannon timeline.**  
 **I'll start rewriting both Crash Landing and this one after I take break from them for a while (so it won't be for a while, sorry). They're both on my To-Do list, but I do have another project that needs attention before these two do (as I am looking to self-publish that one and enter it in a contest on Wattpad, so it needs to be finished this August). I'll update them all at once, and post an author's note on each one once it's complete, but it won't be for a while yet. The first draft is always there if you care to re-read it (with all of its glorious errors, thank you Scrivener autocorrect you're the best…)**  
 **Until then, take care, and I hope to see many of you back when I post my next story!**


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